Your Mind is Like a Monkey on Horseback
By josefina
@josie_ (9763)
Philippines
April 4, 2016 10:25pm CST
Circus! Circus!
An image of a circus ring comes to mind. We see a monkey sitting complacently on horseback, the trainer guiding the horse round and round as they go in circles.
But what if the monkey was given free reign of the horse?
Like the phrase "Monkey around",mayhem would be the result.
In today's world of endless distraction, our mind is like that monkey scampering willy-nilly from one thing to another. It cannot sit still.
In 2000, the attention span of the average person was 12 seconds. Some researchers believe this has fallen to 8 seconds. Much lower than a goldfish which have a 9 second attention span.
I use to be envious of people who can multi-task since I find it nearly impossible to do several things at the same time (probably old age). You see kids listening to music while talking to friends on their cellphone and playing video games.
Turns out you are merely sifting your attention from one task to another and not doing them simultaneously as most people believe. Because our brain need to focus on the task at hand, multitasking takes longer to complete and are often prone to error.
Do you multi-task and what sort of activities are these?
12 people like this
16 responses
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
I can still multi-task, mind and action. While I was preparing our lunch (eggplant omelet), I was also talking over the phone to one of my former students, while lotting as well.I did it.
2 people like this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
@ridingbet _If I did that, I'd probably would have burn torta (eggplant omelet) for lunch!
1 person likes this
@cacay1 (83220)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
5 Apr 16
@ridingbet, wow aha, nice friend.
2 people like this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
@josie_ no you won't.Let us not allow that at our ripe age.
1 person likes this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
@Lucky1_Multi-tasking is a good training for motor skills and body coordination. But when it comes to more complicated tasks that requires our cognitive reasoning and retrieval of information stored in our brain, it is better to do things one at a time.
1 person likes this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
@MGjhaud_You probably have had a lot of experience in your job. What kind of task do you multitask if I may ask?
@JamesHxstatic (29343)
• Eugene, Oregon
5 Apr 16
I am watching a TV show and reading and commenting here. I am doing my best not to make errors. The program is about Mexican laborers who came North to harvest crops in the US during World War II. Fascinating!
2 people like this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
@JamesHxstatic _They were welcome when a shortage of manpower occur because Americans were needed in the arm forces. How times have chance.
1 person likes this
@cherriefic (10400)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
I always multitask as I'm used to it and can get things done faster for me.
1 person likes this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
@cherriefic _Can't do it. Any distraction and I'm off my game.
@Letranknight2015 (51539)
• Philippines
6 Apr 16
Im not been very good with multi tasking, most specially at work.
1 person likes this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
6 Apr 16
@Letranknight2015 _Nothing to feel bad about. Fewer errors if you just focus on one task at a time.
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
5 Apr 16
i got the full visual :) multi-taskin' typically causes more troubles'n it resolves. i ne'er did such, but 'twas prone to burnin' the candle't both ends.
that's a great pity that so many can't stay focused longer'n a goldfish :( no wonder our young'uns don't seem to be too bright these days...
1 person likes this
@josie_ (9763)
• Philippines
5 Apr 16
@crazyhorseladycx _I occasionally burn the midnight oil when I'm totally focus on a thing I am interested in. I am never aware how time flies. Kids these days are lucky or unlucky depending on how one looks at it.They have the computer and apps to do the thinking for them.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71676)
• United States
8 Apr 16
My daughter always wants to do things while she is doing something else such as listening to videos on her tablet while playing games on the computer. Or listening to music while doing her homework. Or doing crosswords or mad libs while watching movies. I used to be the same way but now that I am older and my medications calm me down I like to just sit and do one thing at a time.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
6 Apr 16
I like to multi-task and a good example is me typing out responses and posts here in myLot while listening to music and having a sporting event (NBA, NHL, MLB, or whatever is playing on tv) on while checking my Twitter and IG feed. All these 'distractions' actually help my think better and it trains me to prioritize.
That's just me though.