Why You See Your Special Interest Everywhere

Vincent Ramon in San Antonio, Texas, writes:

You once replied to the question, “Let’s say I buy a car because I like the color, and I haven’t seen this color on the road before. Then I see all kinds of cars that are the same color as mine. What is the explanation for this?” Could you repeat your answer?

Marilyn responds:

Sure! I said the answer is relevance. As we go through a normal day, our senses are flooded with information. If we paid attention to it all, we couldn’t get through a single block. Imagine yourself going to a department store to look for a tie. But first you must walk through the cosmetics department and take note of everything you see, hear, smell, and touch. Pretend you’re going to be tested! What is the size of every item? People are talking within earshot all around you: What is each one saying? What kinds of flowers are in all the vases? Where is every air conditioning vent? You’ll never get through that room! Instead, our brains automatically select what is relevant. In that store, you’ll walk right through the cosmetics department and step onto the escalator that leads to the men’s clothing department.

But say you bought your wife an expensive bottle of perfume the day before, at another store, and had it beautifully wrapped for her birthday today. If you walk past the same perfume at this store, you’ll notice it–because it now has relevance. And it’ll be on sale!