50/10,000,000 is Not Reality

The human brain takes in roughly 10 million bits per second (Mbps) of visual information. Right alongside, it processes another 100,000 bits per second of auditory information, along with a lesser volume of touch, taste, and smell data.

By way of reference, the 4k camera on your mobile phone processes about 6,000 Mbps.

So what do we do with all that information input?

That’s actually the right question. The brain can consciously process about 50 bits per second.

Read that again.

When it comes to translating the site of a Lion running towards us, the brain can generate “time to go” signals at the rate of about 40 bits per second. If you wanted to shout about it, it’s the same 40 bits per second.

Which leads to an obvious conclusion. Whatever movie is playing in your head right now, whatever it feels like being you, is, at best, a wildly simplified approximation of what’s going on around you.

Whatever your brain says is going on is nothing more than a sample 50/10,000,000 of all the data available to your brain. And if there’s two of you . . .

I take at least two possible lessons from this bit of math.

·????? Slowing down is good.

·????? Approach everyone and everything with more grace, kindness, and openness. At any given moment, my version of what’s going on is just my version.