Some time ago I took an awareness test, just for fun. It was a short video and one was supposed to count the times a ball was passed among the members of a group. If you Google (a noun now mostly used as a verb) awareness tests or observation tests, you can find quite a few. Anyway, I was quite proud of myself for keeping track of the passes (24)....until the question came up about who had seen the gorilla. A gorilla?! As I watched again--not counting the passes this time--there was definitely a guy in a gorilla suit who walked through the group. I had totally missed it. Apparently when most people concentrate on watching something, other unexpected things are not observed. I was glad to find out that it wasn't just me.
When hubby and I stopped to visit at his parents' house a while back, neither parent noticed that he had made a change in his appearance. I don't want to say too much because no one in my family has seen him recently and I am sure some of them will notice immediately. I do have close relatives who would NOT have missed the gorilla. In fact, if there is ever a need for someone to talk to a sketch artist about someone we saw, it had better not be me. However, I can think of several people who could accurately describe a person down to the shape of their eyebrows.
I'm trying to be more watchful and observant. I don't want to miss any more gorillas.
5 comments:
I think that teachers do have the power to observe more details because it was part of the job. I don't know if I do it as well as I used to, now that I don't have to..
I think that I am pretty observant, but I have been known to miss an obvious thing or two!!
A long time ago, I was with my son when a woman backed up into our car. My son got out to look at our bumper, but the other driver never got out. She just stayed till he looked at it and then drove off.
I told my son that the young woman could have at least apologized.
My son said, "Mom? That was no young woman. She was quite elderly with white hair."
Well... since neither of us are all that observant, I'm afraid I don't know who was right.
Still, in a classroom... I knew what every single child was doing.
Go figure.
It's funny you should bring this up - I ask people that all the time. I tell them - our eyes are like onions, each time you peel a layer, you see clearer. Well, after the tears LOL. I have been a big observer for years. Friends get ticked when I point something out, but hey - I would rather be me then them LMAO....Good post!
wow I missed your gorilla post. not sure I understand that part but did get the awareness part. Some people do not look or process what is happening. My husband for one is always deep in his thoughts about whatever he is working on at the time and would miss the gorilla unless it made a move. lol
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