We all experience strange situations, people, concepts, etc. Have you thought about what makes them feel strange, and why we try to avoid strangeness rather than pursue it? What could be the benefits, if any, of going beyond strange and exploring the territory of unknown potential?
At its core, strange refers to something outside the norm or different from what we would typically expect. Something unusual or surprising; difficult to understand, not previously seen or encountered. It looks, sounds, feels, tastes or smells strange — or so it seems.
Our perception of strangeness is shaped by the natural tendency of the brain to seek patterns, fill in missing information, and engage in fast, intuitive thinking. When we encounter something that does not fit our preconceived patterns and gut reactions, we call it strange and see it as a warning.
The perception of strangeness is a projection based on confusion and caution. Incoming sensory data cannot be recognized and categorized. This sends a signal to the higher brain centers to search for more information, and a message to the lower centers of something could be wrong, and action may be needed. Should you abandon or approach?
Pattern recognition is the process of identifying regularities or repeating structures in data, information, or experience. We look for matches…
