On not noticing rather too many things
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On not noticing rather too many things
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Re: On not noticing rather too many things
#2This resonated with me somewhat. I think what he describes is my default inclination... I focus very closely, struggle to multitask, etc. Classic ADHD symptoms, though I cope because a) I think my symptoms are relatively mild (though noticeable). I think I could get a diagnosis if I wanted one, but could also probably avoid one if I wanted to. And b) I have the great luck that I can simply "weaponize" my hyperfocus to get work done. I know that in general people can't pick what they hyperfocus on, but I will suggest I don't pick... it's just that I always hyperfocus on coding and coding is my day job. So, quite serendipitous. Thank you Alan Turing, I would be homeless and alone without your inventions.
But uh - back to the topic at hand - I also try hard to spend at least some time just being open and perceiving. Looking around for no purpose but to absorb and observe what is there to be absorbed and observed. I think sometimes I take it too far - missing my turn because I was examining the construction off the highway too closely, wondering what that construction worker holding the sign was thinking of to have that curious expression on his face - but I think it's better to overcorrect a little than to not try.
Re: On not noticing rather too many things
#3One time, at a family gathering, I asked where a relative named Cindy was. The entire room got silent and stared at me. I found out later she'd been dead for a few years and I somehow had not noticed or had forgotten.
Re: On not noticing rather too many things
#4This resonated with me somewhat. I think what he describes is my default inclination... I focus very closely, struggle to multitask, etc. Classic ADHD symptoms, though I cope because a) I think my symptoms are relatively mild (though noticeable). I think I could get a diagnosis if I wanted one, but could also probably avoid one if I wanted to. And b) I have the great luck that I can simply "weaponize" my hyperfocus t…
FWIW -- You're not wrong that you could probably get a diagnosis if you wanted to, but everything you describe about your experience is relatable to almost everyone. That's exactly how farm workers spend 8 hours picking strawberries, how carpenters spend 8 hours hammering joists, and what everybody is doing when they miss that turn.
In a lot of mental health diagnoses, its the persistent inability to "cope" that warrants treatment rather than the little laundry list of symptoms (which are often very common and relatable). Lots of people don't learn that and needlessly feel alien or pathological when actually experiencing a very everyday and relatable sort of life.
Re: On not noticing rather too many things
#5One time, at a family gathering, I asked where a relative named Cindy was. The entire room got silent and stared at me. I found out later she'd been dead for a few years and I somehow had not noticed or had forgotten.
Kinda assholes for staring
Re: On not noticing rather too many things
#6A lot of these things also sounds like autism.
Re: On not noticing rather too many things
#7A lot of these things also sounds like autism.
Just living in a big city for a long time can do this to you. After a while you just learn to tune most stuff out and engage "autopilot", for a lack of a better word.
Re: On not noticing rather too many things
#8"The world in which a man lives shapes itself chiefly by the way in which he looks at it, and so it proves different to different men; to one it is barren, dull, and superficial; to another rich, interesting, and full of meaning."
- The Wisdom of Life, Arther Shopenhauer.
To enjoy life you have to pay attention to it.
Re: On not noticing rather too many things
#9Ah yes a casual date thru the tenderloin. These are the types of individuals with no situational awareness that end up getting hurt and wonder why. The world will kill you if you let it.
Re: On not noticing rather too many things
#10This resonated with me somewhat. I think what he describes is my default inclination... I focus very closely, struggle to multitask, etc. Classic ADHD symptoms, though I cope because a) I think my symptoms are relatively mild (though noticeable). I think I could get a diagnosis if I wanted one, but could also probably avoid one if I wanted to. And b) I have the great luck that I can simply "weaponize" my hyperfocus t…
FWIW -- You're not wrong that you could probably get a diagnosis if you wanted to, but everything you describe about your experience is relatable to almost everyone. That's exactly how farm workers spend 8 hours picking strawberries, how carpenters spend 8 hours hammering joists, and what everybody is doing when they miss that turn. In a lot of mental health diagnoses, its the persistent inability to "cope" that warr…
I haven’t heard it expressed this eloquently and succinct before. Bravo.