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Concentrate Better By Doodling

Posted by timothy on from the la-la-la-la-shiny dept.

Kelson writes "The next time you see someone doodling during a meeting, don't criticize them for drifting off. It turns out that doodling is the mind's way of keeping itself just busy enough to avoid checking out entirely and slipping off into a daydream, and doodlers actually remember more of that boring talk. (Judging by my college notes, this probably helped me remember a lot of otherwise-boring lectures.)"

7 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Someone tell gradeschool teachers by Walkingshark · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I understand things the first time I hear them in almost all cases. This has been true since childhood. As a direct result, the normal teaching style in most gradeschools (say something, then repeat it in slightly different ways many many times) was nearly unbearably boring for me. I would try and allieviate this boredom by doodling, and this often got me in trouble.

    I'd like to go back and find the fucking idiots who wouldn't just leave me alone and let me draw and show them this article.

    --
    The world you experience is only a close approximation of reality.
    1. Re:Someone tell gradeschool teachers by DamienNightbane · · Score: 2, Interesting

      He sounds like most of the people I associate with. I dropped out of High School for the exact same reason and found that I was able to educate myself better by fucking off on the internet for the years that I would have been in High School than I was through most of Elementary School and Jr. High. When It takes a tenth grade English class a month to read To Kill A Mockingbird of all things and I was finished by the end of the second day of class, there is a problem.

      A herd does nothing but harm itself as a whole by slowing to the speed of the sick and the weak. Let the morons that aren't learning fall behind. That's what special ed classes are for. Do not bring the people capable of learning down to their level. Definitely do not make the above average people hate school because they're bored out of their mind the whole time. Society isn't harmed because little Johnny is too stupid to read properly. There will always be a demand for burger flippers and manual laborers. On the other hand, society is harmed when Tommy decides that formal education is useless and doesn't finish high school and go to college to become an engineer and ends up working alongside Johnny instead.

  2. What works for me is being Drowsy by David_Hart · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I found in University that I retained more information in classes where I was half-napping (not falling asleep). I haven't heard of any studies but my thought is that the brain may find it easier to organize information when you are drifting. Then again, maybe it's just me... (grin)

    David

  3. I was the doodling guy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A few weeks ago I met my High School Philosophy teacher from around 20 years ago. I greeted him and he didn't remember me at first, then asked for a few more names from my promotion. He said "that was a good year, and then: "You are the doodling guy!".

    Yeah, I spent all his classes producing convoluted tesselations and stuff while I listened, then just read anything he proposed. He told me he was expecting a complete disaster at first but in fact I was one of the best students he'd ever had, neck to neck with another doodler a few years later.

  4. I watch TV while I work by omnichad · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I work at home (telecommuter for 2 years now), and whenever I get stuck doing menial work, I turn on the TV. I have to watch sitcom drivel to keep it from being too engaging, but it keeps me on task, and keeps me from drifting off onto Slashdot...like I'm doing now. CRAP!

  5. Re:I knew it. by MaxwellEdison · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Anytime I started in a class I made it a point to talk to the Professor and let them know that I would likely be doodling my entire time in their classroom. I did this to head off confrontations that may arise throughout the course. Any that expressly forbid me (how DARE you doodle! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!) I made a bargain with, they would call met out in class when they saw me doodling, I would answer their questions (likely while still doodling) and then they would correspond doodling with listening. Of course the fact that most of what I was doodling pertained to my engineering graphics classes may have had something to do with it as well.

    --
    -=Bang Bang=-
  6. Forces me to think by skeftomai · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I do this....I write a lot of notes or play witrh my phone to an extend during meetings.

    I find that catching bits and pieces forces me to try harder to put things together and understand them, and so I end up understanding things better.

    Also, if I try too hard to pay attention, I worry about paying attention more than what I am supposed to be paying attention to. When I do other things, it puts my mind at ease, and I can relaxedly listen.