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Strange Discovery

Strange Discovery2012-03-28T14:54:43+00:00

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  • #90657

    shutterbug55
    Participant
    Post count: 430

    OK I have been trying to deal with my constant forgetting things. I forget to tie my shoes, I forget where I put things, I forget what I am doing (that may be because I am getting old). So, I tried an experiment.

    My dinner time routine is I get home, put down my work stuff, take off my shoes and start cooking dinner. About half way through Jeprody, the smoke alarm reminds me it is time to scrape the carbon out of the pans, air out the kitchen, and grab my coupons for KFC.

    I have a tough time remembering to brush my teeth, so they don’t get brushed after every meal (Sorry Dr. Jones) and I have to be reminded to do other simple things like comb my hair, tuck in my shirt… simple things.

    As a kid, when I was learning all of that stuff, I rarely forgot to tie my shoes because it was so new and it meant I didn’t have to wait for my mom to tie them for me, before I went out to play. When the newness wore off, I’d start to forget to do those things. When I broke my arm, I was forced to do everything with the wrong hand, and I stopped forgetting to do stuff again. I remembered that, when one of the neighborhood kids broke his arm last week, and I freely associated to this experiment.

    For the last week I have been tieing my shoes a different way. I wrap the knots the other way, which forces me to have to think about what I am doing. I stir the pot with the other hand, brush my teeth with the other hand, and use my other hand to tuck in my shirt.

    A strange thing has happened. My smoke alarm is silent because I don’t forget to stir the pot, I forget to do it with my left hand. I haven’t tripped on loose shoe strings in a while. My teeth get brushed and my shirts are tucked in.

    I am sure there is someone out there who knows how the brain stores information and how “automatic” actions become automatic. I would love to hear the explanation. I know there is a reason this “technique” works, because I am “learning” how to do these things all over again. But why?

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    #113635

    Tiddler
    Member
    Post count: 802

    This is so interesting. I think Rick talked about a similar thing in one of his blogs. I can’t remember the details though, typically!

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    #113636

    quizzical
    Participant
    Post count: 251

    I love this! What’s really interesting is that you’re remembering to do things even before the moment of choosing, and using, the other hand.

    Makes me wonder if I wrote all those notes to myself with the other hand I’d remember things without having to even look at the note. Might just try it out to see what happens. After all, if it doesn’t work, well, I’ve still got the note to remind me.

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    #113637

    Bill
    Member
    Post count: 227

    Great idea! It’s kind of like a mindfulness approach to daily living.

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    #113638

    kc5jck
    Participant
    Post count: 845

    Strange discovery? Here’s one that seemed strange to me and what’s more it’s totally off topic and ADD random.

    My wife came up with a FroliCat DART Automatic Rotating Laser Pet Toy for me to get working last night. It reminds me of Gort the robot that shoots a laser from his head to disintegrate things . . except this thing paints a moving laser spot for the cats to chase around the floor. I think it’s pretty clever . . . and some of the cats are mildly amused and engaged . . . but a grasshopper, cricket, or cockroach is a lot cheaper and offers a better reward.

    http://www.entirelypets.com/frolicatdart.html?mr:trackingCode=35DE290C-4428-E111-8D66-001517B188A2&mr:referralID=NA&origin=pla&mr:adType=pla&gclid=CLjVpbizoK8CFQdN4AodNhBtiA

    I figured that with all the cat owner members, this would be of interest. :)

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    #113639

    Scattybird
    Participant
    Post count: 1096

    One of my dogs will spend hours chasing a torch beam around in an attempt to catch it. She loves the game and will bring the torch when she wants to play. The other dog doesn’t seem to see and certainly doesn’t acknowledge the beam at all – instead he thinks it’s a stick so his game it to try to remove the torch from my hand. Interesting (well I think so anyway) that two dogs have a different perception of the torch.

    Re the wrong-handed item – I wonder if it’s because one has to concentrate harder when writing a note with the ‘wrong’ hand so it’s more likely to stick in the mind – less automatic so zoning out is less likely??

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