Читать книгу Non-Obvious 2017 Edition - Рохит Бхаргава - Страница 32

1 Explain the World to Children – If you are lucky enough to have children in your life, one of the best ways to train yourself to use observation more frequently is to get better about explaining the world around you to children. When my kids asked me recently why construction vehicles and traffic signs are orange but cars aren’t, it forced me to think about something I would otherwise have easily ignored, even if I didn’t have the perfect answer to the question.* * In case you were wondering, they are orange because testing shows that is the color most visible from the greatest distance. And cars aren’t because people care more about picking a color they like than optimizing their car for safety by making it orange.

2 Watch Processes in Action – Every situation is filled with processes, from how school buses drop off children at their stops to how coffee shops take and make orders every morning. When you look at these interactions, you’ll notice that very little happens by accident. Pay attention and ask yourself what does a typical interaction look like? How does it differ when it involves a “regular” versus a “newbie”? Seeing these patterns in regular everyday life can help you train yourself to use this observational skill in other situations as well.

3 Don’t Be Observationally Lazy – It is easy to go through the mundane moments of life glued to your smartphone. Aside from being really good at capturing our attention, they also keep us from seeing the world around us. Rather than switching to auto-pilot to navigate daily tasks like commuting or buying groceries, train yourself to put your phone down and choose to be observant instead.