The Frequency Illusion: How a Simple Decision Can Change Everything You See

On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt. Claude Monet, 1868. Courtesy the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.

The life you want may already be all around you; your mind simply needs to be taught how to see it.

Have you ever bought a new car, only to start seeing that exact make and model everywhere you look? Or you learn a new word, and it seems to pop up in every article you read and conversation you overhear? There’s a name for this: the frequency illusion, or the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. It’s a cognitive bias where, once something becomes prominent in your mind, your brain starts noticing it with surprising regularity.

While this is a fun party trick of the mind, it’s also one of the most powerful, understated tools we have for personal transformation. The same phenomenon that helps you spot your new car in a crowded parking lot can also help you spot opportunities to build the life you truly envision. When you set a goal or plant the seed of a new vision for yourself, it becomes salient in your mind. Suddenly, your perception shifts, and you begin to see pathways, resources, and encouraging signs that align with that goal—things that were likely there all along, but you were never primed to notice.

I have certainly found this to be true on my own journey toward minimalist luxury. The moment you make the decision—the conscious choice to change your approach to how you spend your time, your money, and your energy—the frequency illusion can kick in to support you. You’ll start noticing articles about intentional living, a friend will mention a brand committed to sustainability, or you’ll see an example of simple elegance that reinforces your resolve.

Of course, the constant pressure of our consumerist society won’t disappear. But I can say with confidence that once you take that first, decisive step, your eyes will open to a world of evidence that this new path is possible. You just have to make the decision first; then, this fascinating quirk of the mind might just step in to help light the way.

If you’re ready to prime your mind for change and start seeing the path to a more intentional life, download a free preview of Worthwhile & Worth Having to help plant that first seed. And be sure to find me at @hellosukio on Instagram and Substack.