Why We Are Bad Witnesses

by John R. SedivycloseAuthor: John R. Sedivy Name: John R. Sedivy
Email: john@capecodbranding.com
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People are just plain poor observers.I recall seeing a demonstration where a masked person enters a room, steals a woman’s purse, and then quickly leaves the room. This occurs quickly, however in front of the room for all to see. After the fact the room full of witnesses are asked for a description bu they fail to provide a picture consistent with reality. But why is this? Why are we, as human beings poor observers?

Why We Can’t Witness
Carl Jung in his book “Psychology and the Occult” provides a few reasons for this:

1. People are poor observers of the unfamiliar – the more they are familiar with a field or subject matter, the reliable the observation
2. “There is no universal gift for observation that could claim a high degree of certainty without special training”
3. “Everything will then depend on the strength of his prejudice for or against.”

Furthermore, Jung continues that “human observation and reporting are subject to disturbance by countless sources of error, many of which are still unknown.” In fact, human observation is so wrought with error that there was a whole school designed around the subject – the psychology of evidence.

Know Your Limits
Jung warns that we should all be aware of our limitations as observers and in our knowledge in general and provides two unbelievable, albeit factual examples. The first was referred to as “Chladni’s Meteors” which referred to the fact that even into the 19th century astronomers believed that meteors were of extra-terrestrial origin. The second – “The Bavarian Board of Physicians Over The Railway” referred to the situation where in 1835 when the first German railway was opened from Nuremberg to Furth, the Board of Physicians held  that the speed of the trains would cause dizziness  in travelers and onlookers and would sour the milk of cows grazing near the tracks.

In essence we can avoid making foolish observations by becoming more familiar with our surroundings, receiving specialized training in relevant subject matters, and attempting to reduce our prejudices for or against something.

It would be interesting to know how many are aware of their own observation limitations in a given situation, especially in regards to important observations such as participating in a court trial.

-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding

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