This is Hidden Brain.
I'm Shankar Vedanta.
In the 17th century novel Don Quixote, the hero, an aging knight, sets his sight on a woman named Aldonza Lorenzo.
To everyone else, Aldonza is a rough-hewn peasant woman, ordinary in every way.
But when Don Quixote looks at her, he sees someone special,
a radiant, elegant woman, the embodiment of beauty and virtue.
He speaks of her in exalted terms.
He imagines her as the inspiration for his quests.
He insists on her perfection, even if reality offers little support for his views.
He even bestows on her a graceful name that speaks to the sweetness of her character, Dulcinea.
We may mock Don Quixote's romantic delusions, but it turns out he might have the last laugh.
Psychological research has begun to explore how our perceptions of other people can shape our relationships with them.
That's true when it comes to wildly inflated estimates, like Don Quixote's view of Dulcinea.
But it's also true when it comes to views that are harshly critical.
They too shape our relationships with our neighbors, our co-workers, and our partners.
This week on Hidden Brain, how our minds shape what we see,
how those perceptions create reality, and how to be a better partner.
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