Cognition
Cognition research reveals how differently the mind works from how it feels. We believe we see reality directly; we construct it from fragments. We believe we decide consciously; unconscious processing precedes awareness. We believe we remember accurately; we reconstruct selectively.
These gaps between felt experience and actual process aren’t flaws. They’re features that allow rapid action in complex environments. The shortcuts work — until they don’t.
Experts don’t think harder. They perceive differently. Chess masters don’t calculate more moves; they recognize patterns that compress complexity. The 50,000 hours of practice reorganizes perception itself.
Chunking transforms sequences into single units. The beginner sees letters; the reader sees words; the speed reader sees phrases. Each level reduces cognitive load by packaging lower-level elements into higher-level chunks.
Desire paths reveal where designed systems and actual behavior diverge. The trail worn through the grass shows where people actually walk, regardless of where sidewalks were laid. Legibility-seeking systems impose grids; desire paths record reality.
Slack (the buffer of unexploited resources) enables response to the unexpected. Systems optimized to 100% utilization shatter under stress. Spare capacity looks like waste until the unexpected arrives — then it looks like survival.
The mind isn’t a camera or a computer. It’s a prediction machine running on shortcuts, building models from fragments, trading accuracy for speed. Understanding how it actually works (not how it feels) is the first step to using it better.
Related: chunking, desire paths, legibility