Could someone really make you believe you were invisible?

What do you think?  Could someone convince you you were invisible?

I’m guessing that’s a firm no, with a side of eye roll and a snicker.

You and me, we like to think we’re objective.  We like to think that our gray matter is in charge and it’s hella discerning.  Right?

Hmmm.  Maybe not. 

The more research I do on neuroscience, brain-based learning and marketing (I always say us in the field of learning and development have a lot to learn from a field that can convince us to part with heard earned cash, especially on some things that can kill you a.k.a. cigarettes), the more I know that’s not the case.

Our perspective, how we see the world is linked to so many things that are influenceable.  Highly influenceable.

And that makes us discerning folk, highly influenceable as well.

What’s so-called ‘normal’ for us, what we consider usual, de facto, and de rigeur, is the bar we use to judge others.  It’s our normal bar, so to speak, and it’s highly subjective. 

It taints what we perceive (and judge!) to be not normal, awkward, weird, and/or foreign.

Now add in social influence and you’ve got a hot, interesting, mess, errrr mix.

For example, up to 60% (yes that’s not a typo) of our behavior is influenced by our strong desire for closure, our need to reduce ambiguity.  Turns out we tend to make decisions faster and more poorly when we’re under stress.  Even the buzzing of an annoying fan can influence us to reduce the ambiguity and get closure, aka by making a decision faster (and poorer) in order to get away from the irritating noise.

So if decision making is so influenceable, it means that if we seek more understanding of ourselves, and our particular worldview and perspective, everyone benefits, our decisions included.

One way to do that is to figure out your lens:

• Are you more of a Mountain Life Lens® (you look up to see the big picture, trends, vision) or a Carrot Life Lens® (you prefer to look down and focus on the details)?
• Are you a Stop Life Lens® (you look inward and initially prefer reflection, with your foot on the brake) or a Go Life Lens® (you look outward and initially prefer action, with your foot on the gas)?
• Are you a Head Life Lens® (you like what you can see, taste or touch, the objective things) or a Heart Life Lens® (you look to the intangible, focusing on your intuition to guide you)?
• And finally are you a Journey Life Lens® (you look around you, with the process being your priority) or a Destination Life Lens® (you look straight ahead, with the destination being key for you)?

Each of the Life Lenses® has their strengths and gaps.  Change the lens you’re looking through and you’ll find a whole new perspective.

You may even learn how to disappear.

Now go on and learn, laugh and lead.

Learn

• The information about ambiguity and closure is from a fabulous book called Nonsense, the Power of Not Knowing, by Jamie Holmes.

Laugh

• Watch your perspective change in a flash with the picture below.

Lead

• Here’s how to convince someone they’re invisible.