S05 E03: Focus: The Two Minds of Attention Podcast By  cover art

S05 E03: Focus: The Two Minds of Attention

S05 E03: Focus: The Two Minds of Attention

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Welcome to Bookish Mind, Season 05, Episode 03! In this illuminating episode, we explore Chapter 3 of Daniel Goleman's powerful book, Focus. We'll uncover the intriguing concept of our brain's two semi-independent mental systems: the fast, involuntary "bottom-up" attention that guides our habits and intuition, and the slower, voluntary "top-down" attention responsible for self-control and deliberate thought. Discover how these systems influence everything from moments of sudden insight (like those experienced by mathematicians Poincaré and Gauss) and the effortless performance of experts, to why even champion athletes can "screw up" when they overthink. We'll also delve into how these attentional patterns contribute to subconscious biases, marketing influences, and even intense emotional "hijacks," revealing how much of our mental life operates beyond conscious awareness.

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