Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon
- “why do I see it everywhere now”
- “baader meinhof phenomenon explained”
- “frequency illusion meaning”
- “learned a word and now it's everywhere”
:: COMPARE ::
Frequency illusionvsRecency illusion
The short answer
Zwicky coined both, and they're easy to confuse. Frequency illusion is thinking a thing is suddenly everywhere. Recency illusion is thinking a thing is brand new — assuming a usage you only just noticed must have been invented last year, when it may be centuries old.
Side by side
| Aspect | Frequency illusion | Recency illusion |
|---|---|---|
| You think | It's everywhere | It's new |
| Actually | You started noticing | You started noticing |
| Common in | Cars, words, names | Language peeves |
| Named by | Zwicky | Zwicky |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon rather than Recency illusion are usually searching for phrases like “why do I see it everywhere now”, “baader meinhof phenomenon explained”, “frequency illusion meaning”.
Read either one in full