The Neuroscience of Creativity, Perception, and Confirmation Bias | Beau Lotto | Big Think

Summary

The script explores how our brains seek certainty to avoid stress but this aversion to uncertainty stifles creativity. It argues that creativity stems from questioning our assumptions, which is difficult as our brains are wired to avoid uncertainty. The process of perception creation is discussed, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging our assumptions to see differently. The script also touches on the incremental nature of brain evolution, suggesting that so-called 'big jumps' in thinking are actually a series of small steps influenced by our assumptions.

Takeaways

• 🧠 **Uncertainty and the Brain**: Our brains strive to reduce uncertainty and increase certainty to avoid stress and maintain mental health.
• 🚤 **Conflicting Signals**: Conflicting sensory information, like feeling still while moving, can cause disorientation and sickness.
• 📉 **Effects of Uncertainty**: High levels of uncertainty can lead to increased brain cell death, reduced brain plasticity, and a more rigid self-perception.
• 🏃 **Avoidance of Uncertainty**: Humans often avoid uncertainty even though it's necessary for creative thinking and seeing things differently.
• ❓ **The Role of Questions**: Creativity begins with questioning, not knowing, and exploring possibilities with 'why?' and 'what if?'.
• 🧍 **Assumptions for Survival**: Assumptions are necessary for everyday actions and survival, but they can also limit our ability to adapt and change.
• 🔄 **Adaptability of the Brain**: The brain is designed to evolve and adapt, which is crucial for dealing with a changing environment.
• 👀 **Perception and Assumptions**: Perception is created by the brain making meaning out of data, which is influenced by our assumptions.
• 🔄 **Shifting Perception**: To see differently, one must acknowledge that all actions are based on assumptions and be open to questioning them.
• 🤔 **Questioning Assumptions**: It's challenging to question our assumptions because it involves stepping into uncertainty, which our brain naturally resists.
• 🌐 **Space of Possibility**: Creativity involves making small steps within one's space of possibility, which is determined by one's history and assumptions.
• 🔗 **External View of Creativity**: What appears as a creative leap to an observer may be a logical next step for the person making the connection, due to different assumptions and experiences.

Q & A

Why does the human brain have difficulty dealing with conflicting sensory information?

The human brain has difficulty dealing with conflicting sensory information because it creates a state of uncertainty, which the brain perceives as stressful and potentially harmful. This stress can lead to illness and is generally avoided because it can increase brain cell death and decrease plasticity.

How does uncertainty affect the brain and behavior?

Uncertainty increases stress, which can lead to brain cell death and decrease plasticity. It can also make individuals more extreme versions of themselves. People generally avoid uncertainty because it is perceived as dangerous, but it is also necessary for creativity and seeing things differently.

What role do assumptions play in our daily lives?

Assumptions are essential for survival as they help us navigate the world with a certain level of predictability. However, they can also limit our ability to see things differently because they create a stable state in the brain that resists change.

Why is questioning our assumptions difficult?

Questioning assumptions is difficult because it involves stepping into a state of uncertainty, which the brain has evolved to avoid. It can also challenge our identity and sense of self, which is why we often prefer to hold onto assumptions that are no longer useful.

How does the process of creating perception relate to our assumptions?

The process of creating perception involves making meaning out of meaningless data. Our brain evolved to do this quickly to ensure survival, but this also means we hold onto these assumptions tightly, which can limit our ability to perceive new possibilities.

What is the significance of 'not knowing' in the context of creativity?

In the context of creativity, 'not knowing' is significant because it opens the door to new ideas and perspectives. It is the starting point for asking questions and exploring possibilities, which can lead to creative insights.

How can we change our assumptions to see differently?

To see differently, we must first acknowledge that all our actions are grounded in assumptions. Then, we need to identify these assumptions and question them, which can be a difficult process due to the brain's aversion to uncertainty.

What is the concept of the 'space of possibility' in relation to our assumptions?

The 'space of possibility' refers to the range of actions or ideas that seem feasible to us based on our assumptions. It is determined by our history and experiences, and it dictates what we perceive as possible or impossible.

How does the brain make 'big jumps' in thinking?

The brain doesn't make big jumps in thinking; it only makes small steps. These steps are determined by the most likely possibilities based on current assumptions. Creativity appears as big jumps to an observer because they see the connection between distant ideas, but for the creator, it's a logical next step within their expanded space of possibility.

What is the role of confirmation bias in maintaining assumptions?

Confirmation bias plays a role in maintaining assumptions by leading us to seek out and favor information that confirms our existing beliefs. This bias helps us avoid uncertainty and the discomfort of questioning our assumptions.

How can understanding the process of perception help us in our personal and professional lives?

Understanding the process of perception can help us become more aware of our assumptions and their impact on our decisions and actions. This awareness can lead to more open-mindedness, better decision-making, and increased creativity in both personal and professional contexts.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Embracing Uncertainty for Creativity

The paragraph discusses the human tendency to avoid uncertainty because it causes stress and can lead to negative outcomes like brain cell death and decreased plasticity. It highlights that uncertainty is paradoxically necessary for creativity and seeing things differently, which always begins with a question or not knowing. The speaker also points out that assumptions are vital for survival but can hinder change and adaptation. The brain's evolution to adapt is contrasted with its resistance to uncertainty. The process of perception creation is introduced as a way to potentially see differently by acknowledging our assumptions and questioning them, despite the difficulty and inherent uncertainty in doing so.

05:02

🧠 Small Steps to Creativity

This paragraph explores the concept of creativity in the context of the brain's inability to make large leaps in thinking. It suggests that creativity is perceived as linking distant ideas, but in reality, it is a series of small, logical steps based on an individual's unique set of assumptions and biases. The speaker explains that what seems like a big jump to an outsider is just a small step within the creator's 'space of possibility,' shaped by their history and experiences. The idea is that creativity is not about making big leaps but about having a more complex or open 'space of possibility,' allowing for different directions of thought and innovation.

Keywords

💡Uncertainty

Uncertainty refers to a state of not being certain, a condition of being unsure about something. In the script, it is described as something that causes stress and is something humans try to avoid because it can lead to illness and decrease brain plasticity. The video discusses how uncertainty is a driving force behind our behaviors as we seek to increase certainty and reduce this stress.

💡Certainty

Certainty is the state of being certain; the quality of being confident or sure about something. The script contrasts certainty with uncertainty, suggesting that humans strive for it to reduce the stress caused by the unknown. It's mentioned in the context of how our brains deal with conflicting sensory information, such as the feeling of motion while in a boat.

💡Assumptions

Assumptions are things that are accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof. The video emphasizes that assumptions are essential for survival but can also limit our ability to see things differently. They act as a foundation for our perceptions and actions, and questioning them is a way to foster creativity and new perspectives.

💡Stress

Stress is a physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension. It is mentioned in the script as a result of uncertainty, which can lead to negative outcomes like increased brain cell death and decreased plasticity. The video suggests that stress from uncertainty is a significant issue in society.

💡Creativity

Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness. The script connects creativity with the ability to see things differently, which starts with questions and not knowing. It's portrayed as a process that involves challenging one's assumptions to explore new possibilities.

💡Plasticity

Plasticity in neuroscience refers to the brain's ability to change and adapt as a result of experience. The video mentions that stress from uncertainty can decrease plasticity, which implies a reduced capacity for learning and adapting to new information.

💡Perception

Perception is the way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted. The script describes perception as a process of creating meaning from data, which is influenced by our assumptions. It's highlighted as both a constraint and a tool for survival, shaping how we interpret the world.

💡Attractor States

Attractor states are stable points toward which a system tends to evolve. In the context of the script, they refer to the stable patterns or states that our brains tend to maintain based on our assumptions. These states can make it difficult to see things differently because they represent a kind of mental stability.

💡Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. The video discusses how this bias can prevent us from questioning our assumptions, as we tend to seek evidence that supports what we already believe.

💡Space of Possibility

The space of possibility refers to the range of potential actions or ideas that are available to an individual based on their history and assumptions. The script uses this concept to explain how creativity can seem like big leaps to outsiders but are actually small steps within the creator's space of possibility.

💡Evolution

Evolution in this context refers to the process of change and development. The script mentions that our brains have evolved to adapt, which is why we have the ability to question assumptions and see things differently. It's a key aspect of how our cognitive abilities have developed over time.

Highlights

Behaviors are driven by a desire to reduce uncertainty and increase certainty.

Sensory conflicts, like those between vision and balance, can cause physical discomfort.

Uncertainty can lead to stress, which is detrimental to brain health.

Avoiding uncertainty is a common behavior, yet it's also necessary for creative thinking.

Creativity begins with questions and a state of not knowing.

Assumptions are necessary for survival but can limit our perspective.

The brain is designed to evolve and adapt to new information.

Perception is created by the brain making meaning from data.

Our assumptions create stable patterns in the brain that can be hard to change.

To see differently, one must first acknowledge that all actions are based on assumptions.

The process of perception involves identifying and questioning our assumptions.

Questioning assumptions is difficult because it involves embracing uncertainty.

Confirmation bias is a defense mechanism to avoid uncertainty.

In politics, the fear of uncertainty can lead to ridicule for changing one's mind based on new evidence.

The brain only makes small steps in its thought process.

Creativity involves making small steps to the next most likely possibility based on one's assumptions.

Creativity is perceived differently by the creator and the observer due to differing assumptions.

A more complex set of assumptions can lead to a broader space of possibility and perceived creativity.

Transcripts

Every behavior that we do, we do to reduce uncertainty.

We do it to increase certainty.

When you go down below in a boat and your eyes are moving and registering the boat,

and your eyes are saying, “Oh, we’re standing still,” but your inner ears are saying,

“No, no, we’re moving.”

And your brain cannot deal with that conflict so it gets ill.

The stress resulting from uncertainty is tremendous in our society.

It increases brain cell death.

It decreases plasticity.

It makes you a more extreme version of yourself.

We do almost everything to avoid uncertainty.

And yet the irony is that that’s the only place we can go if we’re ever going to see

differently.

And that’s why creativity, seeing differently, always begins in the same way: it begins with

a question.

It begins with not knowing.

It begins with a 'why?'.

It begins with a 'what if?'.

And I should also say that these assumptions are essential for your survival.

Every time you take a step your brain has hundreds of assumptions: that the floor is

not going to give way, that your legs aren’t going to give way, that that’s not a hole,

it’s a surface.

So these assumptions keep us alive.

But they can also get in the way, because what was once useful may no longer be useful.

So your brain evolved to evolve.

It's adapted to adapt.

So a deep question is: how is it possible to ever see differently if everything you

see is a reflex grounded in your history of assumptions?

Our assumptions—and the process of vision—is both our constraint and our savior at the

same time.

Because our brain evolved to take what is meaningless and make it meaningful.

If you’re not sure that was a predator, it was too late.

So your brain evolved to take this meaningless data and make meaning from it, and that’s

the process of creating perception.

And then we hold on to those assumptions.

They create attractor states in your brain, right, and they become very stable.

So how could we see differently?

It’s by engaging the process of creating perception.

Well the first step in that is to not just admit but embody the fact that everything

you do right now is grounded in your assumptions—not sometimes, but all the time.

Because if you don’t accept that then you’ll never create the possibility of seeing differently.

So much of 'Deviate', if people walk away with anything, it’s knowing the process

of perception and in some sense I want them to know less at the end than they think they

know now, because nothing interesting begins with knowing, it begins with not knowing.

Because the next step is to then identify your assumptions—because most of everything

that we do, we don’t know why we do what we do—and then the final step is to question

those assumptions.

But questioning assumptions is incredibly difficult, because to question assumptions,

to doubt what you assumed to be true already, especially if that assumption defines who

you are, is to do the one thing that our brain evolved to avoid, which is uncertainty.

In fact, uncertainty is such a difficult, dangerous thing, that evolution has created

a brain that tries to avoid it altogether, to the extent that we have things like confirmation

bias, where we’ll start looking for evidence to confirm what we assume to be true already.

That we would rather hold onto assumptions that we know don’t work, because that is

safer (we think) than questioning them and stepping into a place that we don’t actually

know, even though that other place might be a great deal better than where we are.

This actually exists all the time within politics.

It exists within the concept of the negative view of U-turns, where we ridicule politicians

for changing their mind because they got new evidence.

We want them to hold onto the same path despite the evidence, which actually shifts them much

more towards a belief as opposed to anything that’s evidence driven.

So this also leads on to the idea of whether or not the brain ever does big jumps, or does

it only ever do small steps?

And the answer is, the brain only ever does small steps.

I can only get from here to the other side of the room by passing through the space in

between.

I can’t teleport myself to the other side.

Similarly your brain only ever makes small steps in its ideas.

So whenever you’re in a moment it can only actually shift itself to the next most-likely

possible.

And the next most likely possible is determined by its assumptions.

We call it the space of possibility.

You can’t do just anything.

Some things are just impossible for you in terms of your perception or in terms of your

conception of the world.

What’s possible is based on your history.

So what that means is, where does that leave us with creativity, which we have this concept

that you’re linking two things that are very far apart?

But if the brain never does big jumps, what’s really happening?

And the idea is that, for the person being creative, all they’re doing is making a

small step to the next most likely possibility based on their assumptions.

But when someone on the outside sees them doing that they think, “Wow, how did they

put those two things that are far apart together?”

And the reason why it seems that way is because for the observer they are far apart, they

have a different space of possibility.

And in their space of possibility they exist way over here.

So creativity in this sense is only creative from the outside, not from the inside.

For the person being creative they’re making a logical next step.

The difference is that their space of possibility is different.

They have different assumptions, different biases.

In fact they might have a more complex space of possibility, because they have more complex

biases and assumptions.

Maybe they had a more open attitude to when they experienced other cultures, et cetera,

and they assimilated more complex assumptions.

So they have more directions in which they can move within their space of possibility.

So we interpret that as them being creative by linking things that are far apart.

But, in fact, it’s a logical process of making small steps, changing your space of

possibility by identifying and then questioning your assumptions.