Gestalt has been my favorite word for years since I discovered it being applied in the discussion of New York City's pizzas (https://uproxx.com/life/pizza-oven-food-bake-science-nostalgia/). A recent application I found was in birdwatching, where gestalt is your ability to quickly identify a species from a quick glimpse of the bird. Rather than consciously identifying every mark and feature, your brain quickly recognizes the species based on the nuances it has come to attribute to it through countless encounters and sightings. Great post as usual!
George, my man, thanks for reading. Your comments are always thoughtful.
Gestalt psychology is infinitely productive and interesting. Marshall McLuhan used it throughout his work on media. Walker Percy also used it in his semiotics. His essay "Metaphor as Mistake" has some wonderful insights related to bird watching/naming that you might like (I will follow up separately via email).
Gestalt has been my favorite word for years since I discovered it being applied in the discussion of New York City's pizzas (https://uproxx.com/life/pizza-oven-food-bake-science-nostalgia/). A recent application I found was in birdwatching, where gestalt is your ability to quickly identify a species from a quick glimpse of the bird. Rather than consciously identifying every mark and feature, your brain quickly recognizes the species based on the nuances it has come to attribute to it through countless encounters and sightings. Great post as usual!
George, my man, thanks for reading. Your comments are always thoughtful.
Gestalt psychology is infinitely productive and interesting. Marshall McLuhan used it throughout his work on media. Walker Percy also used it in his semiotics. His essay "Metaphor as Mistake" has some wonderful insights related to bird watching/naming that you might like (I will follow up separately via email).
Sounds absolutely fascinating. I look forward to it!