Our Brains Are Overloaded But Understimulated

The average person in our society is often bored, despite the fact that more messaging is directed at us than at any other time in human history. We are deluged in ads, videos, news stories, news stories about news stories, threats, warnings, traffic, emails, calls, texts, meetings, Zoom calls... the list is endless.

And yet, we are bored. We want to go deeper, but the stimulation is so incessant that we keep getting distracted. That's why so many people scroll endlessly, seeking meaning but finding only superficiality.

Dr. Carmen Simon observes that "people get bored very quickly, and it takes a lot of stimulation variety to get them to shift from boredom to engagement. If the stimulus does not change, people experience habituation, which means that as they get used to a stimulus, they pay less attention to it."

This is horrible news if you are trying to sell anything, manage anyone, share wisdom or communicate with the people who matter most to you. The odds are overwhelming that before you finish talking, the other person has stopped paying attention.

"Influential communicators vary the stimulus often, so that the brain does not have a chance to habituate," says Dr. Simon.

To demonstrate, here are two sentences from actor Ryan Reynolds' LinkedIn profile:

My skills include writing, re-writing, tweeting, mixing cocktails, backend engineering for software platforms and watching lower-tier Welsh football matches. Proficiency ranges from excellent to absolutely awful.

Ryan constantly surprises us, yet somehow stays focused on what he wishes to communicate (watch my movie, support my team, buy my alcohol).

A decade ago, Carmen Simon taught me how to be a better speaker and presenter. This week, she sent me a copy of her latest book, Made You Look: How to Use Brain Science to Attract Attention and Persuade Others , and in 24 hours I have learned more about the right way to attract attention than I have in the last five years.

Made You Look is not a book; it is a treasure chest of wisdom, scientific studies, practical communication tips, and visually arresting examples you can steal for your own benefit.

The book will set you back $38 for 300 gorgeous pages, many of them full color. If you work in business or with other people, you should race to buy it. I'm not telling you this to help Carmen; I'm telling you this to help you.

Unfortunately, you have a problem. So many people promote books on LinkedIn and in newsletters like this one that virtually everyone has become resistant to buying another book. Even you. Right at this exact moment, you're probably ready to ignore my suggestion.

Do.

Not.

Ignore.

This.

Book.

It's sheer genius.

Plus, I have even better news for you. Despite the depth of this book's content, you can explore it more like a coffee table book. There are so many pictures and visual examples that it offers a fun way to go very deep.

(I really hope you haven't stopped reading this issue already so that you can check next week's weather forecast.)