That's very interesting. I do it myself, but not because I had any idea it really worked, it's just habit. When I am hitching up our trailer and getting ready to set out on a road trip, I walk around it pointing at things and calling them out loud to myself -- hitch pins, safety pins, sway bars, various things that have to be stowed, etc. Now I can tell my wife it's not because I'm senile, but because it works :)
Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
181–190 of 334 posts
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#182I noticed the problem on myself on several occasions and kind of invented the same solution. For example, sometimes I would take a medicament mechanically while doing something else and just a few minutes later, forget if I took it or not. Solution: say loud to myself "I'm taking a pill". Another: sometimes I'd lend some amount money to a colleague, and a few weeks later I'd have a hard time figuring whether they gav…
> I would take a medicament mechanically
This is not intended obnoxiously, but I assume English is not your first language (though your English is good) and you'd want to know: "medicament" is an incredibly uncommon way to refer to "medication." In fact, the majority of native English speakers would not recognize it.
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#183I noticed the problem on myself on several occasions and kind of invented the same solution. For example, sometimes I would take a medicament mechanically while doing something else and just a few minutes later, forget if I took it or not. Solution: say loud to myself "I'm taking a pill". Another: sometimes I'd lend some amount money to a colleague, and a few weeks later I'd have a hard time figuring whether they gav…
Whenever I need to remember to do a one-off thing in the morning, I just leave my car keys next to (or under) something that will remind me. That way I literally can't leave without remembering to do it.
And then you forget where you put your car keys ...
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#184I noticed the problem on myself on several occasions and kind of invented the same solution. For example, sometimes I would take a medicament mechanically while doing something else and just a few minutes later, forget if I took it or not. Solution: say loud to myself "I'm taking a pill". Another: sometimes I'd lend some amount money to a colleague, and a few weeks later I'd have a hard time figuring whether they gav…
I picked up this nasty habit of leaving the house and feeling compelled to check to make sure the oven and stove top are off. After years of doing this and feeling silly each time I started checking the oven before I left the house and told myself outloud, "Yes, the oven and stovetop is off". I was surprised how effective this was. Interesting to read this article today and other's solutions to the same problem.
I used to be like that about packing before traveling. Nervous that I'd forgotten something I'd keep checking and checking.
With time I learned that (or got more practice) it is unlikely I actually forgot something. Probably I just don't remember packing it. 95% of the time when I fear I didn't pack some silly thing, there it is, in my suitcase,when I arrive. Thank you past Swizec!
A big part of it is also that I always pack my suitcase in the same way and I always put certain things in certain spots. If I am closing the suitcase and the thing is not in its spot, then I stop and put it there.
Especially important for passports and other such documents. Always put it in the same place. If it's not in that place, then it isn't packed.
This reduces the amount of checksuming you have to do.
Oh and all you really need is your passport and your credit card. The rest is replaceable.
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#185Next time your on the NYC subway watch for the conductor as the train comes to a stop. They always point out the window at a marker that helps them know where to stop the train. Seems to be a very minimal version of what this article is taking about. But I always get a kick out of it.
Yeah, I never noticed it until I was made aware by this video. Now I always see them doing it :)
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#186Earlier quoted context omitted.
I picked up this nasty habit of leaving the house and feeling compelled to check to make sure the oven and stove top are off. After years of doing this and feeling silly each time I started checking the oven before I left the house and told myself outloud, "Yes, the oven and stovetop is off". I was surprised how effective this was. Interesting to read this article today and other's solutions to the same problem.
I used to be like that about packing before traveling. Nervous that I'd forgotten something I'd keep checking and checking. With time I learned that (or got more practice) it is unlikely I actually forgot something. Probably I just don't remember packing it. 95% of the time when I fear I didn't pack some silly thing, there it is, in my suitcase,when I arrive. Thank you past Swizec! A big part of it is also that I alw…
I do all of that as well. I also use a vacation checklist.
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#187Slightly off topic but this practice of talking-out-loud to get yourself doing stuff is also beneficial to people with executive dysfunction. If your executive function is impaired you generally don't have the "internal monologue" or the voice in your head. This makes seemingly simpler things like taking a shower, driving, or eating, very difficult! I'd often "forget" to eat, simply because I could not get myself to…
This technique is also useful for software development, and is referred to as rubber duck debugging ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging ). Verbalizing your problem lends you another point of view to your thinking and often allows you to discover the problem yourself.
I learned about that once when someone turned around, started explaining the bug, and during the explanation, realised what the issue was. He then said, "Thank you for being my rubber duck."
"Your what?"
"Look it up."
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#188I noticed the problem on myself on several occasions and kind of invented the same solution. For example, sometimes I would take a medicament mechanically while doing something else and just a few minutes later, forget if I took it or not. Solution: say loud to myself "I'm taking a pill". Another: sometimes I'd lend some amount money to a colleague, and a few weeks later I'd have a hard time figuring whether they gav…
For example, sometimes I would take a medicament mechanically while doing something else and just a few minutes later, forget if I took it or not. Solution: say loud to myself "I'm taking a pill". My solution for this problem: I have a cron job which sends me an email every morning. If I see that email, I 1. Take a pill out of the bottle and put it on my laptop keyboard 2. Delete the email 3. Eat the pill. This seque…
This has a serious security flaw.
Reproducing the security flaw:
1. Create a plausible enough distraction 2. Place pill on said keyboard 3. Pharmaceutical intervention Complete!
Perhaps, this is a general flaw in the choosing of a visible, non-access restircted (presuming) place to keep the pill (also no verification if it's the correct pill).
How would you solve this problem?
1. Trivially, restrict access to this place (lock your cabin or something) or use a pill box for which you've the keys 2. Verification of pill - camera surveilance of keyboard(has its own issues lol, perhaps, if angle it such a way that you're not keylogging yourself) - weight sensitive plate on keyboard (mission impossible anyone? :D) - edible hologram on pill - SHA engraving on pill (manual verification becomes is time consuming and is not cool) - encode hash in pill weight: Have a delicate weighing balance, alter the weight of the pill by addition or removal of a neutral substance, program the balance or use an sdk for balance to auto verify this; (note SSH keys required) - Ah! laser engrave a qr code on to pill; laser engraving can be reasonable automated (presumption), verification via smartphone i.e. check the hash or qr code is a shortlink to a verifiable hash (I'm reasonable happy with this solution, moving on)
Re: Why Japan’s Rail Workers Point at Things
#189I noticed the problem on myself on several occasions and kind of invented the same solution. For example, sometimes I would take a medicament mechanically while doing something else and just a few minutes later, forget if I took it or not. Solution: say loud to myself "I'm taking a pill". Another: sometimes I'd lend some amount money to a colleague, and a few weeks later I'd have a hard time figuring whether they gav…
Excellent.
I bar the door with my large umbrella so I can't leave without moving it.
When running laps I keep count by holding my fingers up in front of my face and saying the lap number out loud. It feels weird, but works for me.