Secrets of the mind

10 disturbing ways your brain lies to you daily

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Our brains are powerful machines, capable of reacting to new stimuli in a quarter of a second, processing vast amounts of information, and spotting patterns in the most unexpected places. However, by their very nature, they’re also full of quirks and strange shortcuts that make them prone to error. From false memories to irrational fears, our minds don’t always work the way we expect. Here are 10 ways your brain plays tricks on you.

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Your brain sometimes creates entirely false memories or distorts real ones. Studies show that people can vividly remember events that never happened, especially if they hear repeated suggestions. This is why eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable.

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You might think you notice everything, but your brain often misses changes in your environment. We tend to focus on what we expect, and studies show people can fail to see major alterations in an image when they aren’t expecting them, even if they’re looking directly at it.

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Just as we are sometimes blind to new information, our brains tend to prefer information that supports what we already believe. This mental shortcut makes it easy to ignore evidence that contradicts your views, which is why debates rarely change anyone’s mind.

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We assume people notice our mistakes or appearance way more than they actually do. In reality, most people are too focused on themselves to pay close attention to minor slip-ups of other people around them.

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After something new happens, your brain convinces you that you "knew it all along." This illusion makes events seem more predictable than they really are, leading to overconfidence in future predictions.

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If you believe a treatment will work, your brain can trick your body into improving—even if it’s just a sugar pill. This effect is so strong that medical studies must account for it when testing real drugs.

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Your decisions are often influenced by the first piece of information you hear about a topic. For example, if you're told a shirt is "50% off," you’re more likely to see it as a great deal, regardless of the original price.

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Our brains try to please us as much as they can. This is why, when your actions contradict your beliefs, your brain still tries to justify them. This psychological phenomenon explains why people rationalize bad decisions instead of just admitting they were wrong.

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Known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, this is a form of cognitive bias in which people with low competence tend to overestimate their abilities, while highly intelligent people often underestimate theirs. This is why beginners are often the most confident, and true masters are more likely to doubt themselves.

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Your brain is wired to find patterns—even when none exist. This is why people see faces in clouds or conspiracy theories in random events.

Depends on who you ask

Which was better, the movie or the book?

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While some cases are more obvious than others, the answer is usually not so clear. Taste is subjective, and there will always be a defiant voice claiming that the book was better—or the other way around. The following 12 examples of books adapted into movies range from the obvious to the worthy to the sublime—but not necessarily in that order.

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Peter Benchley’s novel includes more details, subplots, and less action than Steven Spielberg’s film. Granted, there would never have been a Jaws movie without the book first, but the movie version—along with its unforgettable, suspenseful score by John Williams—is generally the preferred one.

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Mario Puzo, the author of The Godfather, once said he wrote the book without thinking much of it, hoping to make some quick cash to pay off debts. However, when Francis Ford Coppola adapted it into a film, the story was shifted to focus on the relationship between Vito and Michael Corleone. The resulting movie has been acclaimed as a masterpiece ever since.

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Originally a technically dense Tom Clancy novel about a rogue Soviet captain, The Hunt for Red October, directed by John McTiernan, became a nerve-wracking film starring a magnetic Sean Connery in the lead role. It’s a great read, but arguably an even better movie.

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Anyone who has read Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange knows how tiresome it can be to constantly look up the made-up words in the included glossary. The book is compelling, and the story is strong, but it became something entirely different when Stanley Kubrick got hold of it. The addition of classical music to violent scenes, Malcolm McDowell’s performance as Little Alex, and the retro-futuristic setting created a visual experience that arguably surpassed the novel.

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No one can deny that Tom Wolfe is an exquisite writer, and The Bonfire of the Vanities is a fine example of his talent. However, when the novel was adapted into a 1980s yuppie film, the result was mediocre at best. The shift in the story’s focus, combined with poor casting decisions, led to a critically panned adaptation.

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Nick Hornby wrote a great, insightful novel about a music-obsessed man who breaks up with his girlfriend and confronts a midlife crisis. Director Stephen Frears managed to create an arguably even more compelling film, aided by a brilliant cast spearheaded by an inspired John Cusack in what is perhaps his best performance.

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As great as it is, the Trainspotting book can be a challenging read, particularly for non-Scottish readers, as the novel is heavily written in Scottish vernacular that can be difficult to follow. Danny Boyle’s film adaptation doesn’t face that hurdle. It features phenomenal casting, a memorable soundtrack, and gripping storytelling that makes the gritty material more accessible to a wider audience.

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Sometimes, a great book can translate into a pretty good movie—and for many, Interview with the Vampire is one of those cases. Anne Rice’s novel about sophisticated, introspective vampires was adapted into a star-studded film featuring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater, and more. While the movie may not be considered a masterpiece, it remains an atmospheric and entertaining film, perfect for a moody Friday night.

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Bret Easton Ellis’ books can be intense, and American Psycho is no exception. The lengthy, gory descriptions of violence found in the novel are largely absent from the film, which helps to emphasize the darkly comedic nature of the story. Christian Bale’s outstanding performance as Patrick Bateman only adds to the movie’s impact.

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Before becoming the cult favorite movie it is today, Fight Club was a novel written by Chuck Palahniuk. While the book is a decent read, the film version is where the story shows its true potential, aided in no small part by the performances of Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.

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An amazing book can translate into an amazing movie—or three. This is certainly true of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and its film adaptation directed by Peter Jackson. From the moment the production was announced, legions of rabid Tolkien fans were ready to tear it apart. However, as the three installments were released, many of those fans became Peter Jackson fans as well. While the book is often considered superior, the movies are masterpieces in their own right.

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Stephen King is known as a master of horror, but some of his non-horror stories are just as fascinating. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption was originally published as part of Different Seasons, a collection of novellas that also includes Apt Pupil. However, it was Frank Darabont’s film, The Shawshank Redemption, that best captured the essence of the story. The Morgan Freeman-narrated tale of a convicted prisoner, his friendship, and his reluctance to lose hope, coupled with a brilliant soundtrack by Thomas Newman, created a true cinematic masterpiece.