Lesson 1: The Four A’s of Visual Intelligence | Amy Herman

Looking comes naturally to people, but that’s not the same thing as perceiving. Unlike sight, perception is a skill that requires dedicated effort and practice to improve. Art historian Amy Herman calls this ability “visual intelligence,” and in this video lesson, she explains how the Four A’s of visual intelligence can help you better comprehend your situation at work and in life. Visual Intelligence: The ability to assess, analyze, articulate, and adapt to visual information in one’s environment Visual intelligence can enhance your: Situational awareness (knowing and articulating your physical situation) Long-term situational awareness (knowing and articulating your life situation) The Four A’s of Visual Intelligence Assess your situation. Ask: What do I have in front of me? What information is here? Analyze the information. Break it down and decide what’s important. Articulate your observations. Put them into words. Adapt to the situation. Take the information from the first three A’s, make a decision, and act on it. Visual Intelligence in Practice When you assess: Ask others to collaborate. Invite them to tell you what they see. When you analyze: Categorize information by what you need, might need, and don’t need. When you articulate: Be mindful of every word you use. When you adapt: Act according to your observations. Make thoughtful and purposeful decisions. Consciously practice the Four A’s until it becomes automatic. © Freethink Media Inc., All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Youtube Member Get exclusive classes and early, ad-free access to new releases without leaving Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@bigthink/membership/ ►Become a Big Think Web Member Get the entire Big Think Class library, premium print issues, live events, and more. https://bigthink.com/membership/ ►Subscribe to Big Think on Substack Get all of your favorite Big Think content delivered to your inbox. https://bigthinkmedia.substack.com/subscribe/ ►Listen to Big Think Interviews on Spotify Insights from the world's biggest thinkers, now as a podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7KRYoRD1NdF2aoQcBMyPlb ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Amy Herman: Amy Herman is a lawyer and art historian who uses works of art to sharpen observation, analysis, and communication skills. By showing people how to look closely at painting, sculpture, and photography, she helps them hone their visual intelligence to recognize the most pertinent and useful information as well as biases that impede decision-making. In 2000, while Herman was the head of education at The Frick Collection in New York City, she developed her “Art of Perception” seminar to improve medical students’ observation and communication skills with their patients. She subsequently adapted the program for a wide range of professionals and leads sessions internationally for the New York City Police Department, the FBI, the French National Police, the Department of Defense, Interpol, the State Department, Fortune 500 companies, first responders, the military, and the intelligence community. She holds a B.A., a J.D., and an M.A. in art history. Her book Visual Intelligence was published in May 2016 and was on both The New York Times and The Washington Post’s bestsellers lists.