I find that when I start thinking about something, I see it everywhere. (Not the observer effect. That’s the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, aka frequency illusion – one for another day).
And so, like a lot of the things I write about, the observer effect has been showing up all around me lately. Whether it’s Futurama’s Professor Hubert Farnsworth lamenting that measuring the outcome of a horse race cost him a bet, or the subtle nod to the Heisenberg principle in Breaking Bad’s Walter White alter ego, the observer effect seems to be everywhere. (Ok, the Heisenberg principle isn’t exactly the observer effect, but it’s related).
Not to forget Schrödinger’s infamous cat – the quantum mechanics/thought experiment, where a cat inside a box is considered both alive and dead until the box is opened. The act of observation collapses the dead-or-alive superposition into one of its two possible states. The very act of observation changes the system being measured – that’s the observer effect.
But enough about quantum physics and microscopic particles (or macroscopic, the size of grapefruit, if you read Ball Lightning by one of my favourite sci-fi authors Cixin Liu – another place I’ve come across it), the observer effect has significant implications much closer to home, in our daily human interactions and behaviours.
Back when I was doing consultancy for start-ups, I noticed that often the mere act of discussing their challenges and dreams led to decisive action being taken. This was before I’d even gotten the chance to perform any smart analysis and set out evidence-led recommendations for intervention. The very act of vocalising the issue, of airing it in the open, was enough. (Nice work if you can get it).
It’s simple enough: The act of vocalising our plans reifies them, making them real to us, and psychologically, we are much more likely to stick to plans we share with others than if we keep them to ourselves. The act of articulating our thoughts and goals to someone else can solidify our commitment to them. A kind of social-contract observer effect.
Mindfulness is another instance. By bringing the subconscious into the conscious realm, we observe our thoughts and feelings without judgment. This self-awareness can lead to significant changes in how we perceive and interact with the world. By observing our own mental states, we influence our actions and reactions, promoting a more balanced and thoughtful approach to life.
There’s also something about ethics here – If one’s own ethical standards can be encapsulated in the question: ‘What would you do if nobody was watching?’, isn’t that the observer effect again? The presence of an observer – whether another person or our own conscience or self-awareness – can influence the outcome. Knowing that our actions are being observed, even if only by ourselves, can encourage us to reach for better versions of ourselves.
I love this concept, and the idea of making a leap from a microscopic world of quantum mechanics that I can’t even pretend to understand, into our everyday lives. Whether it’s the act of measuring a particle’s state, discussing our goals and dreams with others, or inward self-awareness and reflection, observation changes outcomes.
The observer effect reminds us that simply by being present and observant, we can influence the world in meaningful ways.
How can you leverage your own observer effect to make your own journey more positive and more deliberate?
K Shel Blogs 