Naive realism is the tendency to believe that we perceive reality objectively, and that people who disagree with us are uninformed, irrational, or biased. In reality, our perception is filtered through our experiences, expectations, emotions, and beliefs. As a result, two people can experience the same event differently while each believes they are seeing things objectively.

For example, Imagine you are watching a football game between the team you favor and their archrivals. The game becomes heated and both teams start fouling, hurting the other team. Supporters of each side will find reasons to justify the actions of their side and blame the other team almost always. Though the spectators are watching the same game, their allegiances cause them to distort their reality in such a way that it is digestible for them.

Why Naive Realism is Misleading

Light reflected from objects enters your eyes, but what you consciously perceive is the brain’s interpretation of that sensory information. That interpretation is influenced by prior experience, expectations, emotions, and attention.

Although it feels as though we experience the external world directly, what we actually experience is the brain’s interpretation of sensory information. Because this interpretation is seamless and convincing, we naturally assume it reflects objective reality. This is what makes naive realism so compelling.

The Yanny/Laurel illusion reminds us that people can experience the same sensory input differently. Yet each listener is convinced they are hearing the “correct” word. This is a small example of naive realism—we naturally assume that our own perception reflects objective reality, even when others sincerely perceive something different.

The illusion is difficult to recognize because our perceptions do not feel like interpretations — they feel like reality itself.

You Remember What You See Perceive

You don’t record everything you see. The things that make it into your memory are those that get your attention. Once it is there, it is not as if it’s there as such.

Over time, if you don’t try to recall, the memory fades over time. However, if you recall, every time you recall, the event is reformed in your mind differently, influenced by your condition at the time and all the wisdom you have acquired since and all the erroneous details you’ve added.

Because memory itself is reconstructed rather than replayed, we often become even more convinced that our version of events is the objective truth. This reinforces naive realism.