jooyous comments on "Why doesn't that cool thing happen when I *try* to do it?" - Less Wrong

0 Post author: Rukifellth 06 March 2013 08:21PM

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Comment author: jooyous 07 March 2013 03:00:23AM *  0 points [-]

On the general subjects of brain getting surprised by things, does anyone have trouble shaking that feeling of having caused something when it's really a coincidence? Like, if you wave your arms and someone's phone rings! And it still feels like you did it even though you didn't? Or some lights go off right as you step on something, and it feels like it was you. I always feel like I need to take a minute because my brain really doesn't want to believe I didn't cause the thing.

A similar feeling is when something falls spontaneously and you still feel like someone must have made that happen, even after checking. Although in reality the object was probably sliding really slowly, or something? I can see how this one might be useful, though.

Comment author: Decius 07 March 2013 08:14:26AM 1 point [-]

Lots of people have trouble seeing "I did this and that happened immediately " as not a causal relation.

See every superstition ever.

Comment author: Error 07 March 2013 01:25:33PM 0 points [-]

Even otherwise intelligent people seem to fail at this one.