"The brain's main task is to minimize the gap between expectation and reality. This gap is what the Free Energy Principle defines as free energy. When the brain encounters unpredictable input, its stress level rises. And it's crucial to understand: this isn't about you as a person or a "user", it's about your brain. It's not something we consciously control, but it's something we can use."
"If you're reading this, you've probably asked yourself the same question I always have: What exactly makes users subconsciously follow Color Psychology, Gestalt principles, and behavioral patterns like Hick's law? Why does all of this work? Is there a way to understand the true nature of our brain and not just how it reacts, but why it predicts, expects, and perceives the world the way it does?"
"After all, as humans, we don't always chase predictability or comfort. Many people enjoy physical exercise, even though it's technically stress for the muscles. We love movies with unexpected plot twists, and even comedy works by placing us in a familiar setup and then adding an unpredictable punchline. That's because we're more than just our brains. The human organism and our consciousness is a complex system of subsystems,"
The brain functions as a continuous prediction engine that builds expectations about sensory input and the environment. The Free Energy Principle states that living systems strive to minimize free energy, defined as the gap between expectation and reality. Unpredictable input increases internal stress because it widens that gap. Minimizing prediction errors reduces surprise and maintains stability. Prediction and error minimization occur below conscious control, but designers can leverage these tendencies to shape perception and behavior. Humans sometimes pursue controlled unpredictability, such as exercise or storytelling, because complex organisms contain interacting subsystems beyond mere prediction.
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