Blind Spot: Operational Gaps in Visibility or Control

Hello there!

Blind Spot is a Telegu language crime thriller released in 2025. No, I haven’t watched it. Nor have I watched the Norwegian film (about a hidden mental illness) or the American mystery series by the same name.

So, you can see that the term is quite popular in entertainment because it inherently suggests hidden danger or a mystery waiting to be uncovered.

But what does blind spot really mean and why do I bring it up here? Let’s explore the meaning first.

The origin of the term is in human anatomy. It is a specific region on the retina at the back of your eye. Because there are no light-sensitive cells there, that tiny spot is technically "blind." It cannot detect light or images.

In the context of driving it is used by drivers and pilots to describe areas obscured by the vehicle's frame. Typically, used to refer to parts of the road hidden from a driver's view. Trucks and buses have much larger blind spots.

Psychologists began using "blind spot" to describe aspects of our personality, behavior, or biases that are obvious to others but hidden from ourselves.

It is also used to refer to areas where someone is ignorant or lacks information often despite being knowledgeable in other areas. Example: He is a brilliant designer, but he has a real blind spot when it comes to high art.

Now, here’s why I highlight this word here:

Blind spot is a widely-used, industry-accepted term used to describe “gaps in visibility or control.”

In physical security, a blind spot is any area or process that is unmonitored or unprotected. Example: areas not covered by CCTV cameras or CCTV cameras exist but no one is monitoring them in real time.

In business operations, a blind spot is a lack of visibility into a process, which leads to inefficiency, waste, or risk. Example: a contractor might still have access to the building after their project ended.

By now, you may be thinking of another word “loophole.” It came to my mind, because they sound very similar: both are types of weaknesses in systems. But there’s a key difference:

a) Blind spot: lack of visibility or awareness

b) Loophole: a known gap that can be exploited

Why does this matter in operations? Because of the context.

a) Blind spots lead to surprises (not known)

b) Loopholes lead to misuse (known)

Now that you know what a blind spot means, why don’t you try and find out your psychological/emotional blind spot?

Wait, but how can you? After all you’re blind to it?

I’ve read that there are various ways to find out about our own psychological blind spots. One of them is—asking for honest (often uncomfortable) feedback from others. General feedback like “you’re fine” is useless. But if you seek it with an open mind, you’ll often get to know things about yourself you didn’t expect and that’s the point.

Let me go figure out mine.