The progressive, incremental process by which we make inferences.
- I observe “data” - raw facts that I hear and see in the world, such as a person’s behavior.
- l (subconsciously or otherwise) select data that I’ve designated as important and relevant to me. The rest is ignored and discarded.
- I add meaning, interpret the selected data based on my values, belief systems and overall context.
- I make assumptions based on the meaning added, usually using past data, beliefs and experiences to “fill in the gaps” in the data, so to speak.
- I draw conclusions.
- I adopt firmly held beliefs that may now go beyond this one instance, situation or context - beyond the original data.
- I take action, moving through the world with this now belief influencing and directing my decisions, impulses, and even the data I observe and select in the future.
Looped enough times over our life, these inferences mould our identities.