Biases That Limit Observation
It is a wonder how people can go forth on bioblitzes and wander among tens of thousands of organisms and come back with a couple of dozen photos. Why? Some possibilities.
- The number of species is overwhelming. Too many to comprehend and awareness shuts down.
- Our attention goes to what is beautiful, like colorful flowers.
- We see what we know, what we can identify already, what we like and are interested in.
I see these biases in myself.
Comments
I especially identify with your third point. Though curious about new, unusual creatures, I am attracted naturally to those I like (bugs n butterflies). If I were to add a point 4 to your list, it would be 'Fear' because if one is fearful of scorpions or snakes, one would not want to get photograph those or keep them in one's collection! Such a bias definitely is a limitation.
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