I think it has more to do with the fact that optical illusions are generally human universals, i.e. all humans see the same thing. (Certain illusions may be susceptible to cultural influence, but I don’t think that really applies here—Buzzfeed commenters are all generally from similar demographics.) Given this, it’s really weird that some people are seeing one thing and other people are seeing something else.
Case in point: I see it as white-and-gold, and I’ve looked over it several times already, with no change. I am actually having difficulty imagining how anyone could perceive it as blue-and-black, despite being fairly certain that the people their claiming to see blue-and-black are not lying. What’s strange isn’t the illusion itself, but the extremely polarizing effect it has on people.
Yes, I agree that projecting “true color” onto the real world is a mistake. I’m not sure those commenters are actually doing that, though. I think your interpretation of the Buzzfeed argument is something like this:
“It’s white-and-gold!”
“No, it’s blue-and-black! How can you think it’s white-and-gold?!”
Whereas my interpretation, I feel, is slightly more charitable:
“I see white-and-gold!”
“No way, I see blue-and-black! Why are you seeing something different from what I’m seeing?”
In other words, I feel that the dicussion isn’t quite as full of fallacious reasoning as you seem to be making it out to be (in that it could interpreted in a different way that makes it about something other than the mind projection fallacy). Of course, I could be wrong. What do you think?
I actually trust your interpretation over mine. I haven’t read through it too carefully and sense that my frustration has interfered with my interpretation a bit.
I think it has more to do with the fact that optical illusions are generally human universals, i.e. all humans see the same thing. (Certain illusions may be susceptible to cultural influence, but I don’t think that really applies here—Buzzfeed commenters are all generally from similar demographics.) Given this, it’s really weird that some people are seeing one thing and other people are seeing something else.
Case in point: I see it as white-and-gold, and I’ve looked over it several times already, with no change. I am actually having difficulty imagining how anyone could perceive it as blue-and-black, despite being fairly certain that the people their claiming to see blue-and-black are not lying. What’s strange isn’t the illusion itself, but the extremely polarizing effect it has on people.
I definitely agree—it’s a particularly curious illusion. Some researcher seems to think so as well.
But the point remains that it can be explained by understanding the illusion, and that projecting “true color” onto the real world is a mistake.
Yes, I agree that projecting “true color” onto the real world is a mistake. I’m not sure those commenters are actually doing that, though. I think your interpretation of the Buzzfeed argument is something like this:
Whereas my interpretation, I feel, is slightly more charitable:
In other words, I feel that the dicussion isn’t quite as full of fallacious reasoning as you seem to be making it out to be (in that it could interpreted in a different way that makes it about something other than the mind projection fallacy). Of course, I could be wrong. What do you think?
I actually trust your interpretation over mine. I haven’t read through it too carefully and sense that my frustration has interfered with my interpretation a bit.