Snake Mosaic
It’s hard to focus. This isn’t news. The why of it has baffled me. Suddenly, it hit me: It is difficult for a person to focus when they’re getting fragmented information from their environment.
I came to this realization in a massive “Oh, duh!” moment a little bit ago, and it rings terribly true. Take this bit of art, for example: There’s a picture there, but it’s fragmented. You have to look at it a while to get it. If you get it right away, kudos, you’re lucky. (And yes, this is my digital painting!)
It’s like that with my environment, especially when there’s a lot going on. I can only focus on so many points, and with my mind wanting to take in everything that might be important, it’s hard to filter what is and is not. This is what contributes to information overload. It involves all of the senses, but mostly sight and sound. Throw in intangibles, like a to-do list a mile long, and it’s no wonder productivity plummets.
I imagine that for a “normal” person, a scene comes together seamlessly. Things make sense, and what’s not important is filtered out. In my case, that filter is faulty. Those little details that don’t matter have a nasty habit of becoming obvious and loud. It’s worse if there is an interesting pattern or other thing about it.
It’s not that I wasn’t aware of this before. Believe me, I’ve been painfully aware of my inability to focus at times. No, the revelation is in how I am now able to share it with you.
Now that you have a better idea of the struggle to concentrate, remember it for the next time you encounter someone who is engaged in this fight. And also remember that for this person, sometimes it’s just easier to tune you out and give in to that distraction. Don’t be offended. Be patient. You might learning something.
