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Reality Is a Shared Hallucination
Why your experience isn’t as universal as you think
I love chocolate. In fact, I love it so much that it’s pretty much unimaginable to me that others might not like it.
I also think watermelon is a completely overrated fruit with a polystyrene-like texture whose sole mention and presence in the fridge is enough to piss me off. It’s unfathomable to me that some might actually find it delicious. Yet, they exist. Weirdos…
My fiancé’s favorite dessert is surprisingly not made of chocolate but carrots. Carrots — the evil stick that obviously only tastes good if masked by the flavor of chocolate. Yet, he rejoices in this simple dessert made only with carrots, milk, butter, nuts, sugar, and a few spices. He finds it utterly delicious. Go figure…
And if you think I am just a weirdo overly obsessed with others’ food choices, think again. You’re probably just as susceptible to the false consensus effect as I am. In fact, we all are.
How consensus bias shapes our decisions
The false consensus effect, also known as , refers to the all-too-human tendency to see our own decisions and opinions as far more prevalent and appropriate than they actually are.
