The assignment was to read pages 15 to 35. I stopped at page 24 for the night. Hofstadter was discussing (rather excitedly it seemed) his first major discovery in pattern sequencing at the age of 16. All of that was very good to me, and it seemed like within it there contained a greater meaning about the cognitive processes behind such discoveries. However, what stood out to me was one paragraph deeply buried, and quickly discussed, amongst his overarching monologue recollecting nostalgia of his past discovery and what it meant to him.

Hofstadter explains that there can be several ways to break down patterns that evoke different feelings to the viewer. Take these two “variations on a theme” as he called them; likely an allusion to the world of music:

-> ( 2 1 ) ( 2 1 1 ) ( 2 1 1 1 ) ( 2 1 1 1 1 ) …

-> ( 2 ) ( 1 2 ) ( 1 1 2 ) ( 1 1 1 2 ) …

If you look closely these number groupings are the same sequence. In the same way a composer will change the way a melody is played in order to evoke different feelings, these numbers, when viewed separately, can evoke different “feelings in the head” as Hofstadter calls them.

The point? Not all humans see the same things when presented with identical information. Hofstadter calls this concept “perceptual regrouping” and comments that, although seemingly trivial, it plays a pivotal role in the acts of discovery and creativity. Hofstadter promised to touch upon this later, and likely so will I, since we both sense the weight of its importance. I find this part of human cognition completely fascinating. In order to think “outside of the box” I often find myself challenging my initial perception of a seemingly obvious concept or motif.

Also See: More on perception.

-James