Inattentional blindness, famously demonstrated in the “invisible gorilla” experiment, reveals a striking truth about the human mind: we often fail to notice even extraordinary events right in front of us when our attention is focused elsewhere. In the study, participants tasked with counting basketball passes frequently missed a person in a gorilla suit strolling through the scene, not because their eyes didn’t see it, but because their minds were too busy with another task. This phenomenon highlights the limits of our attention, showing that perception is not a perfect recording device, but a selective process shaped by our goals and mental load. Understanding inattentional blindness has profound implications: from improving safety in
high-stakes jobs like aviation and medicine, to designing environments that reduce distraction, to fostering humility about our own awareness. These studies remind us that attention is precious, focus has a cost, and that by knowing our limits, we can build systems and habits that help us see what truly matters. Life presents many distractions, and we are tasked with selecting our focus. What will we choose? Our search for an answer will take us beyond the
psychological to the spiritual, for it is only as we walk and talk with Jesus that our eyes will be fully opened to see what we need to see.