Mental Oddities

Your mind can work in odd ways. Here are two obscure examples:

Shower Acoustics

We rejoice at the marked improvement of our singing when we shower. The richness of our voice is striking. Fantasies of being featured in Super Bowl halftimes become seductive as we croon beneath the downpour.

Of course, the acoustics are enhanced by wet tub and tile. But in our minds, the results prove our musicality. Yet few like what their voices really sound like in a audio recording or video. And the skull’s echo chamber always assures we’re misled.

White Cars

If asked how many white cars you see in a day, you’ll suddenly be aware of them when you’re out driving. Statistically, almost a third of U.S. vehicles are white.

In 1996, bright colors like red, blue and green were the most common choices. Today, 80% of American vehicles are neutral tones – white, black, gray or silver.

Yet even if your sudden sensitivity to whiteness degrades during rush hour, nearly everyone’s attention snaps to when a black-and-white suddenly appears. It’s your guilty conscience at work.