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The latest news on this change — carefully culled from the world wide web by our change agents. They do the surfing, so you don't have to!

Correcting "Change Blindness"

There’s a very interesting, if complicated, article in The New York Times today about the way people see things visually. Apparently, our brains are too small to be able to take in much information at a time, so what happens is something called “change blindness,” where people are often unable to notice differences in something when it’s staring people in the face. It happens when you look at something casually, like a painting, and you see a similar painting and you’re asked to point out what has changed from the original. Quite often, people can’t point out the difference.
 
What does it matter? It means your brain can only focus well on a few things at a time, while insignificant details are ignored. If you think about it in context of all the changes you’re making, if you’re making 15 changes at a time in your life, you’re probably only going to really focus on one or two and the rest will fall by the wayside. And that’s ok. You and your brain literally can’t handle more.
 
So when you’re feeling frustrated that changing your life is taking a while, take a breather and remember to focus on the one or two things that you can really pay attention to. Otherwise, you’re liable to miss them. [The New York Times]

Posted: 4/1/08
smokeygirl

That is exactly what is wrong with me!Only a little different, its too much info at one time (like at a workplace, which I used to do 4 people's work, and got nothing in return!If I went on vacation, I put out extra cakes, decorated and torte, filled the freezer, also made extra of everything that concerned my job. Even making a meatloaf for the firt day I was gone, and another "main" dish for the second! This has never been done for me, and the person that took MY place except for ONE, she tried hard, but couldn't do it all, but I admire her in trying to do it for me. When I would come back from my vacation, everything of mine was BARE. I had to hustle to try to fill it which no one but God could do! Errands are the same. Too many, my brain just seems to shut down and don't even know the first thing I was supposed to do. The job I was talking about earlier, I was there for 8 yrs. and came home every night in a rage! People not doing their jobs and leaving it for me, or would not DO what I asked them to do when I was the asst. manager on my day off. I myself worked as hard that day than I ever did. This has been a lot of years ago, but I am still carrying this around. One thing, he head honcho called me to the enterprise on my day off. I was really expecting him to make me manager of the new seafood he was opening in one of the stores. NO, it was going to a new deli/bakery they just built in the oldest store to be the asst. No raise, no nothing! I turned it down and said I appreciated it, but would rather stay where I was at since I knew everyone and we had a schedule to go by at night. He didn't tell me he was shutting down the store I worked in, and the manager from the one I wanted to go to, ASKED for me because he used to to our manager for awhile and saw what I could do. I never was treated so bad in all my life! Plus she cut me down to 2 hrs. a week, when I was full time, I went to her about that, that I had already told them I was flexible and would drop a few hrs. to help out as long as it didn't put me part time, which 20 hrs. would. Things were never so unorganized! I had to come in to a busier store than the other, and DO what the night crew was supposed to do! Oh well, I quit my 8 yr. job anyway. She got fired right after. She never showed up to work hardly anyway.

writereditor

Interesting piece! And thanks for the link to the source article. I will be referring to it in a presentation I'll be making this week about how to be a better proofreader.