I keep seeing this – The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon

Have you ever been looking for something, like say, an article that has a red color and all of a sudden, you start noticing more of things that have red color? This a phenomenon called Baader-Meinhof phenomenon.

The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, also known as the frequency illusion is a cognitive bias in which people believe that something has become more common after they have just learned about it. This is because once something is brought to our attention, we become more likely to notice it.

In the case of seeing red everywhere, it is likely that you have recently been exposed to something red, such as a red car, a red dress, or a red traffic light. This has made you more attuned to the color red, so you are now more likely to notice it.

We can also explain the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon by the concept of selective attention. This is the tendency to focus on certain things and ignore others. When you are paying attention to something, you are more likely to notice it when it occurs again.

So, if you are suddenly seeing red everywhere, it is not because the world is suddenly full of red things, lol, no. It is simply because you are more aware of the color red.

Here are some other examples of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon:

• You learn about a new word, and then you start to see it everywhere.
• You meet someone new, and then you start to see them everywhere.
• You start thinking about buying a new car, and then you start to see that car everywhere.
• You think of a type of clothing and you start seeing may people wearing it

The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon is a harmless quirk of the human brain. It is not a sign of mental illness or anything to be concerned about. However, it can be frustrating when you feel like you are going crazy or that the world is conspiring against you.

If you find yourself experiencing the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, there are a few things you can do to cope with it:

• Remind yourself that it is just a cognitive bias.
• Try to focus on other things.

Next time this phenomenon happens to you, don’t panic. It’s simply your brain doing its job – filtering information and highlighting the newly relevant. Embrace the quirkiness of this mental trick, and remember, it might just spark an interesting conversation or a fun coincidence down the road.