What We Expect

"...human beings were prone to see what they expected, and especially so in the heat of action."
-SM Stirling, The Desert And The Blade (New York, 2016), Chapter Twelve, p. 233.

And hear. Outside a secondary school in the Republic of Ireland, ranks of senior pupils stood at attention in military uniform with a transport vehicle to their left. A corporal ordered, in Irish, "Right turn!" To the considerable amusement of onlookers, some turned right while others turned left. One even complained, "The corporal gave the wrong order!" Expecting an order to turn left and hearing an order given, he turned left. Then, instead of realizing his mistake, he spoke out of turn, criticizing the corporal who had tested his ability to hear and obey an order. Fortunately, the defense of the Republic does not depend on space cadets.

Once, glancing behind me, I saw a workmate lying on his back, one arm stretched towards a parked car. Immediately, I interpreted this odd sight thus, "George has dropped a coin or other small object that has rolled under the car and is lying down to retrieve it." In fact, I had just missed seeing another workmate, Chris, lay George on his back with an uppercut to the jaw.

Today, purchasing an item, I placed too few coins on the counter and put my hand in a pocket to get more. Meanwhile, the vendor, engrossed in a conversation on his mobile phone, scooped up the coins, put them in the till and walked into his back room, still conversing.

How much do we see and hear?