As a trainer of negotiation and conflict resolution skills, I love using optical illusions to demonstrate the fallibility of our perception. They alert us that our senses can be unreliable and susceptible to influence. And they remind us that it is always possible to see things differently. The ability to be alert to errors in thinking and judgment that any of us are prone to is of course essential to anyone who is negotiating or resolving a dispute.

Here are two optical illusions I was recently introduced to that I’ve incorporated into my training. Both of us these can be found at Michael Bach’s web site, 75 Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena.

The first is Shepard’s “Terror Subterra”, a cool interactive illusion that demonstrates how perspective can bias us.

The second is Shepard’s “Turning the Tables”, an interactive illusion with tables that appear to be of different dimensions but are in fact identical, with the ability to test the visual effect for yourself. It’s extraordinary how knowing the truth doesn’t necessarily prevent us from making mistakes in our thinking.

This week’s Blawg Review, the weekly review of the best in legal blogging, is hosted by Colin Samuels at Infamy or Praise. Blawg Review #137 draws poetic inspiration from The Divine Comedy’s third cantica, Paradiso.

This edition of Blawg Review is Colin’s third. Each time the works of the immortal Dante have served as Colin’s muse, resulting in an Inferno-inspired Blawg Review #35 and a Purgatorio-themed Blawg Review #86.

Congratulations, by the way, to Blawg Review for earning its rightful place among the American Bar Association’s list of top 100 law blogs. Blawg Review stands apart for its ability to present unique voices in the legal community.

Consider, for example, these two recent hosts of Blawg Review:

Peter Black’s Freedom to Differ, providing an Australian perspective on legal and policy issues concerning the media and internet

Dr. Jillian Todd Weiss at Transgender Workplace Diversity, covering law, politics, and policy affecting gender identity

Each weekly host presents a refreshingly different perspective on the law and legal issues — the issues that affect all of us, whether we practice or study law, or simply care about it. And if you love both law and literature, don’t miss Blawg Review #137.