The Blind Spots We Don’t See

"The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend."

– Robertson Davies, Tempest-Tost

You have a blind spot. Right now. No, really—you do. In both eyes.

There’s a literal hole in your vision where your optic nerve connects to your retina, meaning there’s a spot in your field of view where you’re technically blind. But do you notice it? Nope! Know why? (You’re gonna love this.) Your brain fills in the gaps. It blends the surrounding details to create a seamless picture of the world. You don’t question it. You don’t even realize it’s happening.

And that’s not just a vision thing—it’s a life thing.

We all have blind spots in the way we think, the way we see the world, and the way we understand ourselves. The tricky part? We don’t know what we don’t know. Our brains do what they do best – they fill in the gaps with assumptions, past experiences, and whatever feels like it should be there. And just like with our eyes, we don’t even realize it’s happening.

The Unknown Unknowns

"We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are."

– Anaïs Nin, Talmud

There’s a famous concept called the “unknown unknowns”—things we don’t know that we don’t know. These are the biggest blind spots because they shape our reality without us even noticing. Maybe you assume you’re bad at something because you’ve never tried it. Maybe you think you understand someone’s perspective, but you’re only seeing what your own experience allows. Maybe you’re convinced your version of reality is complete—just like your vision—when in fact, there’s a hole you haven’t accounted for.

And just like in our eyesight, our brain is constantly filling in the gaps. The question is – with what?

Filling in the Blanks

"Your brain’s primary function is to make decisions that keep you alive. Accuracy is optional."

– David McRaney – You Are Not So Smart

Most of the time, we use our past experiences, cultural beliefs, and personal biases to patch up those missing pieces. It’s efficient—it keeps us moving through life without constantly second-guessing everything. But it also means we might be (we all totally are) walking around with some pretty big misconceptions.

So how do we get better at noticing these gaps?

Stay curious 

"The wise man knows he doesn't know. The fool doesn't know he doesn't know."

– Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Truth is a funny thing. Arguably one of the most brilliant minds in recorded human history, Averroes Ibn Rushd, spent his life’s work dealing with the limits of human understanding and how we often think we see the full picture when, in reality, we’re only grasping a small piece of it. Just as our brain fills in missing visual information so we perceive a complete image, our minds also construct an illusion of intellectual and existential certainty—even when there are gaps in our knowledge.

Averroes believed that true knowledge required constant questioning and refinement—that we must challenge what we think we know rather than passively accepting the “truths” handed to us. In the same way, we must question our assumptions and actively seek out what might be hidden from us.

Just because something feels true doesn’t mean we’re seeing the full picture. Whether in philosophy, faith, or everyday life, Truth is often constructed, and we must always be willing to challenge and expand our understanding. The coolest thing about Averroes, I think, is his idea that any Truth we find will eventually be replaced by an improved Truth brought on by the evolution of human concsiousness and philosophical discourse. Basically, we’re always growing and learning. So, even when you find what you think really is Truth, don’t get too attached.

For now, if something feels like an absolute truth, always ask yourself, “Is there something I might not be seeing?”

Getting Comfortable with Being Wrong

“Our comforting conviction that the world makes sense rests on a secure foundation: our almost unlimited ability to ignore our ignorance.”

– Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow

If there’s one thing we hate, it’s being wrong. It feels uncomfortable, like an attack on who we are. But if we want to start noticing our blind spots, we have to make peace with the fact that we’re going to be wrong—a lot. And that’s not a failure. It’s growth.

The philosopher Karl Popper had a whole framework for this. He argued that the way we move toward truth isn’t by proving ourselves right, but by actively looking for ways we might be wrong. He called this falsifiability—the idea that a claim is only meaningful if it can be tested and proven false. In other words, the smartest thing we can do isn’t clinging to what we believe, but trying to break it and see what holds up.

I have often found myself wondering, “Why is being wrong so hard?”

Psychologist Leon Festinger teaches that this is because when we encounter evidence that contradicts what we believe, our brain doesn’t like it. It creates tension, like an internal alarm going off. To reduce that discomfort, we often choose the easy way out and dismiss new information, double down on our beliefs, or explain away inconvenient truths.

We see this everywhere—from personal relationships to politics to work environments. But the truth is, discomfort is the signal that growth is happening. And there are ways we can be proactive in that growth.

Reframe what “wrong” means.

Being wrong doesn’t mean you’re foolish—it means you’re learning. Every time you realize a blind spot, you gain a clearer picture of reality. That’s progress.

Catch yourself in defense mode.

If you feel yourself getting heated over an idea, ask, “Am I reacting to protect my beliefs, or am I open to new possibilities?”

Adopt the scientific mindset.

Instead of thinking, I need to be right, think, I need to get closer to the truth—even if that means changing my mind.

At the end of the day, our blind spots aren’t the problem—it’s the unwillingness to admit we have them. Being wrong isn’t the enemy, it’s the path forward. Realizing you had a blind spot isn’t a failure—it’s an opportunity. The more you acknowledge them, the more you grow.

Seeing More Clearly

Our brains are designed to fill in missing information, both in our vision and in our lives. But just because it feels seamless doesn’t mean we’re seeing the full picture. Recognizing our blind spots—both the literal and the metaphorical ones—helps us move through the world with more awareness, humility, and openness. And, in my humble opinion, it helps us have more love in our lives – love for our selves and others.

So next time you’re absolutely sure you see the whole story, take a pause. There just might be something in your blind spot.