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Peter McAllister
March 7, 2014
English 1010
The Importance of Our Attention
I have chosen to analyze a text about how important it is for us to control our attention which was
written by Linda Stone. The text contains inspirational and very informative factors that can help
encourage its readers to make a change for the better. She argues the point that the simplest things can
completely grab and hold our attention making it harder for us to see the big picture. Something as simple
as texting while walking down the sidewalk could be enough to distract you from a pickpocket stealing
your wallet.
Linda was known for coining the phrase “continuous partial attention.” This phrase’s meaning is
similar to the idea of multitasking but rather than being motivated by the desire to be productive, it is
driven by the will to connect and be connected to. It’s being aware of all that is going on around us so
that we do not miss anything. Although the article is not specifically about “continuous partial attention”
I believe it is derived from the idea of it.
We all struggle with attention in one way or another. Either we hear too much or not enough or
just a lot of only one thing. Indeed our attention is a powerful tool in our everyday life as a human being
but it is still very fragile. Something as simple as the sound of a needle drop can be enough to cause
someone to lose focus on what they are doing. As Linda states in her article, “The way we use our
attention shapes and controls our reality.” She goes on to explain by giving the example of a magician.
They use simple tactics to distract you from seeing the big picture. Simple questions about asking us to
recall a memory could be enough to distract us for just enough time to do the magic trick
She states that news articles, books, and other texts use a similar technique to gain our attention
on the subjects that they desire us to read, watch or hear. With titles like, “Danger of Digital Distraction!”
and “Time to Unplug!” cause our focus to be drawn in to the texts because of guilt. As we read we begin
to think things like, “I am distracted too much, “or, “I need to start focusing more!” Guilty thoughts like
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these, According to Linda, causes us to have stress. Stress is the source of the distractions. Through the
thought of wanting to become more focused we actually become more distracted.
I found it interesting that she chose a much more positive approach with her title to this article.
“Our Powerful and Fragile Attention” makes you feel more humble rather than guilty. It draws you in
with the desire to know and grow more, rather than guilt trip you. As you read her article you begin to
realize how powerful your attention really is rather than thinking how horrible you’ve been at paying
attention to the world around you.
Although she uses this title and the majority of her text is positive, her writing, in my opinion, can
still cause stress. She uses the example that if we don’t pay attention then we could begin to be in danger
of theft and other consequences. This could cause you to be stressed into thinking that you can’t text and
walk or else you could be pickpocketed. So in a way I find this a little hypocritical in her text, like making
a movie on the danger of watching movies.
Despite this, she has done a great job at staying on topic with her main idea. She begins with a
question that gets you thinking and wanting to know more. She then gives examples to express the
importance to her questions. The article peaks where she gives a personal example of how easy it can be
to get distracted and the consequence it would have. She then brings it all back together again. If you
were to illustrate the flow of her writing it would look like a rainbow. Starting from the bottom and
moving up until you get to the top and then slowly comes back down again as she re-explains her thesis
over again.
As you read her article you begin to relate to the stories and examples that she shares. Really
anyone who has missed something or can’t stay focused on their task at hand would be drawn into this
article. Its main purpose was for personal life but it could be used in almost any setting where tasks need
to be done. The workplace would be a great place for this to be shared to help keep employees focused.
To help her text fit into all these different situations she keeps her overall tone persuasive but
relaxed which helps to eliminate the stress of what she is writing about. She holds to this tone throughout
her article and ends with her overall point that how we use our attention defines who we all are. We
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control what we don’t want to hear or see and what we do. She then states the old calm yet powerful
saying, “The choice is yours.”
With that last statement being impacted onto our conscious she has now imprinted her point of
view onto all of her reader’s minds. Her article has impacted myself and helped me to realize how much
of a part my attention plays in my everyday life. We need to be aware of how easy it is to be effected but
also need to know it’s potential. Linda Stone has shown us this point through the way she motivates us
through her writing. It is our choice how we act going forward but our knowledge is forever changed.
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References
Stone, Linda. "Our Powerful and Fragile Attention." The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 24 02
2014. Web. 24 Feb 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-stone/our-powerful-andfragile-_b_4486411.html?utm_hp_ref=tw>.
Stone, L.. N.p.. Web. 24 Feb 2014. <http://lindastone.net/qa/continuous-partial-attention/>.