{"id":18615,"date":"2021-03-20T00:02:02","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T22:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/?p=18615&lang=en"},"modified":"2021-03-19T23:24:12","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T21:24:12","slug":"feature-positive-effect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/feature-positive-effect\/?lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Feature-positive effect (ROLPH DOBELLI)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two series of numbers: the \ufb01rst, series A, consists of: 724, 947, 421, 843, 394, 411, 054, 646. What do these numbers have in common? Don\u2019t read on until you have an answer. It\u2019s simpler than you think: the number four features in each of them. Now examine series B: 349, 851, 274, 905, 772, 032, 854, 113. What links these numbers? Do not read further until you\u2019ve \ufb01gured it out. Series B is more dif\ufb01cult, right? Answer: none use the number six. What can you learn from this? Absence is much harder to detect than presence. In other words, we place greater emphasis on what is present than on what is absent.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Last week, while on a walk, it occurred to me that nothing hurt. It was an unexpected thought. I rarely experience pain anyway, but when I do, it is very present. But the absence of pain I rarely recognise. It was such a simple, obvious fact, it amazed me. For a moment, I was elated \u2013 until this little revelation slipped from my mind again. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At a classical recital, an orchestra performed Beethoven\u2019s Ninth Symphony. A storm of enthusiasm gripped the concert hall. During the ode in the fourth movement, tears of joy could be seen here and there. How fortunate we are that this symphony exists, I thought. But is that really true? Would we be less happy without the work? Probably not. Had the symphony never been composed, no one would miss it. The director would receive no angry calls saying: \u2018Please have this symphony written and performed immediately.\u2019 In short, what exists means a lot more than what is missing. Science calls this the<\/span><\/span> feature-positive effect<\/b><\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Prevention campaigns utilise this well. \u2018Smoking causes lung cancer\u2019 is much more powerful than \u2018Not smoking leads to a life free of lung cancer.\u2019 Auditors and other professionals who employ checklists are prone to the feature-positive effect: outstanding tax declarations are immediately obvious because they feature on their lists. What does not appear, however, is more artistic fraud, such as the goings-on at Enron and with Bernie Madoff\u2019s Ponzi scheme. Also absent are the undertakings of \u2018rogue traders\u2019, such as Nick Leeson and Jerome Kerviel, to whom Barings and Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 G\u00e9n\u00e9rale fell victim. Financial vagaries of this kind are not on any checklist. And they do not have to be illegal: a mortgage bank will be on the lookout for credit risk due to a drop in the debtor\u2019s income because this appears on its list; however it will overlook the devaluation of property, say, through the construction of an incineration plant in the vicinity. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Suppose you manufacture a dubious product, such as a salad dressing with a high level of cholesterol. What do you do? On the label, you promote the twenty different vitamins in the dressing and omit the cholesterol level. Consumers won\u2019t notice its absence. And the positive, present features will make sure that they feel safe and informed. In academia, we constantly encounter the feature-positive effect. The con\ufb01rmation of hypotheses leads to publications and, in exceptional cases, these are rewarded with Nobel prizes. On the other hand, the falsi\ufb01cation of a hypothesis is a lot harder to get published, and as far as I know there has never been a Nobel Prize awarded for this. However, such falsi\ufb01cation is as scienti\ufb01cally valuable as con\ufb01rmation. Another consequence of the effect is that we are also much more open to positive advice (do X) than to negative suggestions (forget about Y) \u2013 no matter how useful the latter may be. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In conclusion: we have problems perceiving non-events. We are blind to what does not exist. We realise if there is a war, but we do not appreciate the absence of war during peacetime. If we are healthy, we rarely think about being sick. Or, if we get off the plane in Cancun, we do not stop to notice that we did not crash. If we thought more frequently about absence, we might well be happier. But it is tough mental work. The greatest philosophical question is why does something and not nothing exist? Don\u2019t expect a quick answer; rather, the question itself represents a useful instrument for combating the feature-positive effect.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Art of Thinking Clearly<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n

Rolph Dobelli<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two series of numbers: the \ufb01rst, series A, consists of: 724, 947, 421, 843, 394, 411, 054, 646. What do these numbers have in common? Don\u2019t read on until you have an answer. It\u2019s simpler than you think: the number four features in each of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15794,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,1],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?fit=496%2C336&ssl=1","rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?fit=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg",496,336,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg",496,336,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?fit=300%2C203&ssl=1",300,203,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?fit=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?fit=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?fit=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"portfolio-square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"portfolio-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"portfolio-landscape":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"menu-featured-post":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=345%2C198&ssl=1",345,198,true],"qode-carousel_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=400%2C260&ssl=1",400,260,true],"portfolio_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"portfolio_masonry_regular":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"portfolio_masonry_wide":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"portfolio_masonry_tall":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"portfolio_masonry_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"portfolio_masonry_with_space":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?fit=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"latest_post_boxes":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=496%2C303&ssl=1",496,303,true],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?fit=496%2C336&ssl=1",496,336,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/post-29.jpg?resize=100%2C100&ssl=1",100,100,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Philosophy<\/a> Uncategorized<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Two series of numbers: the \ufb01rst, series A, consists of: 724, 947, 421, 843, 394, 411, 054, 646. What do these numbers have in common? Don\u2019t read on until you have an answer. 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