Introspection illusion

Biological Parallel

When asked why they chose a particular mate, animals cannot introspect—a female peacock cannot report "I selected the male with 15% more eyespots." Mate choice reflects unconscious genetic algorithms: symmetry detection, immune system compatibility, vigor displays. Consciousness is a narrator retrofitting explanations onto decisions made by ancient circuits. The introspection illusion—believing we have privileged access to our decision-making—confuses conscious narrative with causal mechanism: we introspect stories about why we chose, not the actual genetic, hormonal, and neural processes that produced the choice.