Clearer, Closer, Better

Clearer, Closer, Better Plot Summary

Introduction

One spring morning, I found myself sitting alone at a Berlin café, flipping through a magazine article about Vantablack - the blackest substance ever created. This remarkable material absorbs 99.965% of light that hits it, making objects coated with it appear as if they've been cut out of reality. When used on three-dimensional sculptures, it creates a visual illusion so powerful that our brains cannot process the depth or contours. We simply see a void. The way Vantablack transforms ordinary objects reveals something profound about human perception: what we see is not always what's actually there. This fascinating disconnect between reality and perception lies at the heart of how we navigate our world and pursue our goals. As a social psychologist who has spent over fifteen years studying perception and motivation, I've discovered that we can harness the natural tendencies of our visual system to overcome challenges and achieve our aspirations. The research reveals four powerful visual strategies that can transform how we approach everything from exercise and saving money to public speaking and resisting temptation. By understanding when and why our eyes don't show us perfect reality, we can direct our perceptual experiences to help us see the world in ways that promote success, happiness, and productivity. These visual tools - narrowing focus, materializing goals, framing perception, and adopting wide brackets - provide practical methods for overcoming the obstacles that stand between us and our most important ambitions.

Chapter 1: Narrowing Focus: The Power of Concentrated Attention

Our eyes connect with our brain to create our visual experience, but what we see is not always an accurate representation of reality. This is powerfully demonstrated by our natural blind spots - areas where our retina connects to the optic nerve, creating small gaps in our vision that our brain automatically fills in. Yet beyond these physical blind spots, we have remarkable control over what we choose to focus on, and this ability can become a powerful tool for achievement. Narrowing our visual focus means deliberately concentrating our attention on specific elements in our environment while filtering out distractions. Like photographer Joseph Petzval, who invented a lens that kept subjects in sharp focus while beautifully blurring the background, we can train ourselves to focus intently on what matters most. Elite athletes demonstrate this skill masterfully. Olympic marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson uses a concentrated visual technique when running - she identifies a runner ahead of her, passes them, then immediately sets her sights on the next target. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by the entire 26.2-mile distance, she breaks it into manageable visual chunks. This approach isn't just for professional athletes. In our research, we found that simply instructing ordinary exercisers to "keep their eyes on the prize" - focusing narrowly on their exercise goal - led to remarkable results. Those who maintained a narrow focus estimated their finish line to be 30% closer, reported their exercise required 17% less effort, and reached their goal 23% faster than those who looked around naturally. The narrowed visual attention created a perception that the challenge was more achievable, which in turn enhanced actual performance. Narrowing focus works because it changes how we perceive challenges, making them appear more manageable. When we're tired or carrying extra weight, distances literally look longer to us - hills appear steeper, walks seem farther. By directing our visual focus specifically toward our goal, we counteract these perceptual distortions. The power of this technique extends beyond physical tasks to other important life goals like retirement saving. Research shows that helping people visualize their future selves - literally seeing digitally aged versions of their faces - led them to allocate twice as much money toward retirement accounts. However, narrow focus isn't always the right strategy. It's most effective when we're nearing the completion of a goal rather than just starting out. As we'll see with other visual strategies, knowing when to deploy each technique is key to maximizing its effectiveness. The beauty of narrow focus is its simplicity - by controlling where we direct our gaze, we can transform seemingly insurmountable challenges into achievable ones, and move forward with renewed confidence and efficiency.

Chapter 2: Materializing Goals: Making the Abstract Concrete

Materializing goals involves transforming abstract intentions into concrete, visible representations. Vision boards - collections of images representing our aspirations - exemplify this concept, though their effectiveness goes deeper than many realize. When we create physical manifestations of our goals, we're doing more than just decorating our walls; we're engaging our visual system in a way that shapes our behavior and enhances our commitment. The power of materialization comes from making the intangible tangible. Consider the experience of Olympic swimmer Gary Hall, who had his coach write target times on the kickboard he used daily in practice. Unlike vague vision boards showing medals or success, Hall's kickboard displayed specific metrics and concrete action plans. This distinction is crucial. Research by UCLA psychologist Shelley Taylor found that students who visualized the concrete steps they would take to prepare for exams (like seeing themselves studying in specific locations) performed significantly better than those who only visualized the desired outcome (like seeing themselves receiving good grades). This concrete approach extends beyond personal goals to civic engagement. A study of nearly 300,000 Pennsylvania voters found that those who were prompted to verbalize a specific voting plan (when they would vote, where they would be coming from, what they would be doing beforehand) were twice as likely to vote compared to those who merely received a standard get-out-the-vote call. Materializing the concrete steps made the abstract intention of "voting" into a clear, actionable plan. A complete materialization strategy involves three key steps. First, identify and visualize your destination – what success looks like. Second, materialize your concrete plan of action – the specific steps needed to get there. Third, and perhaps most surprisingly, foreshadow potential failures. Companies like Google's X innovation lab intentionally normalize and reward the identification of flaws in projects, creating a culture where detecting potential failures early is valued more than pushing ahead blindly. This third step is exemplified by Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's business partner at Berkshire Hathaway. Munger developed a formal checklist of cognitive biases and potential misjudgments against which he evaluates his plans before moving forward. Similarly, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps mentally rehearses potential problems – like goggles filling with water – and prepares solutions in advance. When this exact scenario happened during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he was ready, counting his strokes to navigate without clear vision and still win gold. By materializing our goals, our plans, and potential obstacles, we create visual anchors that guide our behavior and increase our likelihood of success. This strategy transforms vague aspirations into clear paths forward, making each step visible and attainable while preparing us for inevitable challenges along the way.

Chapter 3: Framing Perception: Changing What Falls Within View

Framing is about controlling what enters our visual field and how we interpret what we see. Just as a picture frame highlights certain elements while excluding others, our mental and physical frames determine what information we process and how we respond to it. This visual strategy powerfully influences our choices, often without our awareness. Consider the experience of U.S. senators selecting their seats in the Chamber. The most coveted positions are those directly in the presiding officer's line of sight, allowing senators to be recognized more easily when they wish to speak. As Senator Orrin Hatch explained, "I'm closer to the aisle, which I've always tried to be so that you can get recognition...sometimes getting recognition is the difference between winning and losing." What appears inside our visual frame matters, whether in politics, art, or everyday life. Our visual frames have dramatic effects on our behavior and health. In supermarkets, the placement of foods in end-aisle displays increases sales by over 50%. When researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital labeled foods with color-coded nutritional ratings (green for healthy, yellow for less healthy, red for unhealthy) and positioned green-tagged foods at eye level, purchases of unhealthy items dropped by 20% over two years. Similarly, Google found that simply placing water at eye level in refrigerators while moving sugary drinks to lower shelves led employees to consume 3.1 million fewer calories from candy in just seven weeks. The science behind framing's effectiveness lies in the connection between our visual and motor systems. Our brains have neural pathways specifically designed to quickly translate what we see into physical actions. When we see foods at eye level, our brain automatically prepares our body to reach for them. By controlling what falls within our visual frame, we can promote better choices without relying on willpower alone. We can intentionally harness this framing effect in our own environments. Psychologist Wendy Wood calls visually prominent cues that trigger desired behaviors "visual sparks." Her research found that college students who maintained healthy exercise routines in new environments did so because they encountered familiar visual cues that triggered their established habits. In workplace settings, simple visual cues combined with clear intentions dramatically improve behavior - one company reduced improper disposal of recyclable cups by 85% by combining visual reminders with specific intentions. By understanding framing, we gain control over what catches our attention and influences our behavior. Whether it's positioning healthier foods at eye level in our refrigerator, placing exercise equipment in a visible location, or removing temptations from our line of sight, we can design our visual environment to support rather than undermine our goals. The power of framing reminds us that sometimes the most effective way to change our behavior isn't through willpower, but through carefully curating what falls within our visual field.

Chapter 4: Wide Brackets: Seeing Patterns in Daily Choices

While narrowing focus helps us concentrate on immediate tasks, wide brackets offer a complementary perspective by expanding our field of vision. A wide bracket approach means stepping back to see the bigger picture – considering our choices across broader spans of time and seeing patterns that would otherwise remain invisible. This concept mirrors what happened in cinematography when Robert Burks, working with director Alfred Hitchcock, revolutionized filmmaking with VistaVision in the 1950s. By placing film horizontally rather than vertically in cameras and using wide-angle lenses, Burks captured entire landscapes with sharp clarity from foreground to background. In the same way, we can mentally step back to view our lives more comprehensively, seeing connections between seemingly isolated decisions. Wide brackets prove particularly valuable when confronting temptations. Researchers found that presenting foods under different frames dramatically changed people's choices. When a food stand was labeled as the "SPRING FOOD STAND" (encouraging a seasonal, long-term perspective), people chose more carrots and fewer chocolates. When the same stand was labeled as the "APRIL 12 FOOD STAND" (highlighting a specific day), they took more chocolates and fewer carrots. The wider frame naturally prompted healthier choices aligned with long-term goals. This approach also transforms how we evaluate financial decisions. Novice investors often check their portfolios too frequently, focusing narrowly on daily fluctuations that trigger anxiety about losses. This leads many to abandon potentially lucrative stock investments despite their superior long-term returns. Adopting a wider bracket – perhaps checking investments annually instead of daily – helps investors see the broader patterns of growth and make decisions aligned with their retirement goals. Wide brackets reveal meaningful patterns in our behavior that remain invisible when viewed narrowly. One powerful application is with the app "1 Second Everyday," which helps users record brief daily video clips that, when compiled, reveal patterns in their lives over weeks, months, and years. This practice counteracts our tendency to record only positive experiences, providing a more representative collection of memories that helps us make better future decisions. Neuroscientists discovered that watching these personal timeline videos activates brain regions involved not only in memory but also in planning for the future – demonstrating how seeing patterns in our past helps shape better futures. The wide bracket approach teaches us to consider our daily choices not as isolated decisions but as part of larger patterns. Whether tracking spending habits, exercise routines, or time management, stepping back to view our choices across broader timeframes reveals insights that enable smarter decision-making. By expanding our visual field, we gain perspective that helps align our immediate actions with our long-term aspirations.

Chapter 5: Disengaging: When to Change Course

Sometimes the most productive path forward requires us to step away from a goal we've been pursuing. Disengagement – the ability to recognize when it's time to change course – represents a crucial visual strategy that complements our other approaches. The challenge lies in determining when persistence will eventually yield success versus when our efforts would be better directed elsewhere. Our minds offer clues when we're approaching this decision point. Research on marathon runners found that around the eighteen-mile mark – where many hit "the wall" – runners' thoughts shift dramatically. They begin weighing the costs of continuing against the benefits of finishing, considering both the pain of persevering and the disappointment of quitting. This mental juggling peaks precisely when dropout rates are highest. Similarly, when we find ourselves preoccupied with such cost-benefit analyses, we may have reached a meaningful crossroads in our goal pursuit. The physical toll of struggling to disengage from unattainable goals is measurable. Researcher Carsten Wrosch found that people who have difficulty letting go of unachievable objectives maintain chronically elevated levels of cortisol – a stress hormone that can increase vulnerability to illness when sustained at high levels. This suggests that knowing when to redirect our efforts isn't just psychologically healthy but physically beneficial as well. Fashion designer Vera Wang exemplifies successful disengagement. As a teenager, Wang trained intensively as a figure skater with Olympic aspirations. When she failed to make the Olympic team, she hung up her skates for good. Rather than continuing to pursue a goal with diminishing returns, Wang redirected her passions – her love of beauty, line, and emotional storytelling – toward fashion design, ultimately building a billion-dollar empire. Her story illustrates how disengagement often leads not to failure but to redirection and reinvention. A wide bracket perspective proves particularly valuable when considering disengagement. By expanding our view beyond a single goal to see multiple potential paths forward, we recognize that success doesn't require following one predetermined route. Research with women defining their ideal lives found that those who viewed their options holistically – seeing all possibilities simultaneously rather than making isolated choices – made more ambitious and personally fulfilling decisions. This wider perspective gave them the strength to resist social pressures and pursue what truly mattered to them. Changing course doesn't mean giving up on our core values or desires. Will Smith pivoted from rapper to actor after financial setbacks, finding extraordinary success in his redirected career. Kendra Scott transformed from a struggling single mother to a billionaire jewelry designer by adapting her approach when initial paths proved challenging. These examples remind us that disengagement is not failure – it's often the first step toward finding a better way forward that honors our deepest aspirations while acknowledging the realities we face.

Chapter 6: Training the Brain: Efficiency Through Practice

Just as elite athletes make difficult physical feats look effortless, we can train our brains to handle complex mental tasks with increasing ease. This final visual strategy focuses on how deliberate practice creates neural efficiency, allowing us to accomplish more with less mental effort. Neuroscientists studying Brazilian soccer star Neymar discovered something remarkable about his brain. When performing basic soccer footwork, Neymar showed significantly less brain activity than other professional and amateur players, despite executing the same movements. Rather than indicating reduced effort, this diminished neural activity represented extraordinary efficiency. Through years of practice, Neymar's brain had optimized the neural pathways involved in controlling foot movements, requiring fewer mental resources to perform the same actions. This pattern appears consistently across domains. Professional concert pianists show less brain activity when moving their fingers than non-musicians. Expert Formula One drivers demonstrate reduced brain activity when reacting to peripheral visual stimuli compared to amateurs. Professional golfers, air-pistol athletes, and drummers all show similar patterns of decreased neural activation when performing within their expertise. With sufficient practice, our brains literally rewire themselves to accomplish tasks more efficiently. The implications for multitasking are significant. While dividing our attention typically undermines performance, experts can multitask more effectively within their domain because basic tasks require less cognitive bandwidth. A study of emergency room physicians revealed that moderate multitasking actually improved their efficiency – doctors discharged patients 25% faster when their caseload increased from three to four patients. However, this benefit had clear limits; beyond five patients, efficiency declined sharply as cognitive demands exceeded capacity. This research explains why novices struggle more with distractions than experts. When learning new skills, our brains must work harder, recruiting more neural resources to accomplish basic tasks. As we practice, these same tasks become more automated, freeing up mental capacity. This is why beginners often find it impossible to hold conversations while performing complex tasks that experts handle with apparent ease. The path to this efficiency requires concentrated, deliberate practice rather than divided attention. Attempting to learn while multitasking actually inhibits the neural optimization process. Instead, dedicated practice sessions that gradually incorporate additional elements prove most effective. A beginner drummer might start by coordinating just the bass drum and snare before adding hi-hat patterns and fills. This incremental approach allows the brain to establish efficient neural pathways for each component before integrating them. By understanding how practice reshapes our brains, we gain insight into the learning process itself. Progress often feels slow and requires significant mental effort initially, but with consistent practice, tasks that once demanded our full concentration gradually become second nature. This neural efficiency doesn't just improve performance in specific domains – it creates additional mental capacity that can be directed toward higher-level thinking, creativity, and managing complexity in all areas of life.

Summary

The visual strategies explored throughout this book – narrowing focus, materializing goals, framing perception, and adopting wide brackets – offer powerful tools for transforming how we pursue our most important ambitions. These approaches work because they harness the natural tendencies of our visual system, which directly influences our motivation, decision-making, and behavior. Rather than fighting against our perceptual tendencies, we can strategically direct them to work in our favor. What makes these tools particularly valuable is their complementary nature. Narrowing focus helps us move forward when immediate challenges seem overwhelming, while wide brackets reveal patterns across our choices that align our daily actions with long-term aspirations. Materializing converts abstract intentions into concrete plans, while framing shapes what we notice and respond to in our environment. No single strategy works for every situation, but together they provide a versatile toolkit for navigating life's challenges. The next time you face a daunting workout, a difficult savings goal, or the temptation to procrastinate, consider how directing your visual experience might transform your approach. By understanding and leveraging the power of perception, you gain access to motivation and capabilities that might otherwise remain untapped – proving that sometimes, the key to changing how we act lies in changing how we see.

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Emily Balcetis

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