Paying Attention

Information Arrogance

Today’s education system is focused on accumulating information. This gives people a false sense of knowing everything — called information arrogance. With that attitude, it becomes difficult to pay attention to anything.

Knowledge and skills are very important to do any job and to be successful in any profession. But when education makes a person information-arrogant and attention-deficit, then it is of no use. The goal of education should not be to make people realize how much they know, it should be to make them realize how little they know.

Negative infinity

Subatomic world is as vast and as unexplored as the universe. It just works on different scales. It is like as we see the universe as infinite, the subatomic universe is akin to negative infinity. Quantum physics, which deals with laws governing subatomic particles, is one of the most complex subjects in science.

When you realize that you do not completely know even a tiny speck, when you understand that even an atom has a whole universe hidden beneath it, then paying attention comes naturally. With that curiosity in mind and desire to learn, one can easily pay attention to everything he observe.

Paying attention and learning

There are two basic things needed to learn anything new — focus and continuous effort (persistence). While it is conspicuous that focus comes from paying attention, it takes a moment to realize that even persistence is related to it. Persistence is a habit, and can be developed just like any other habit. By paying attention to our habits, we can know which habits to make, and which to break. It is just a matter of changing the subject of our attention from the thing at hand to our own selves.

Paying attention and communication

What constitutes good communication:

• Eye contact
• Listening skills — do not interrupt when others are speaking — wait for your chance
• Have genuine interest in what others are saying
• Have empathy

Good communication is the foundation of good relationships. When we have our undivided attention while communicating with others, good communication skills become natural.