It's Not That We Can't Focus. It's That We Don't Have To.
Attention and effort aren’t the same thing. Attention is the capacity to focus, but effort involves the willingness to stay with something long enough to process it deeply. Increasingly, those two things are becoming distinct. When answers are immediate and summaries replace processes, we don’t just get faster—we adapt. We become highly efficient at extracting just enough to proceed, while the skill of sustained engagement begins to feel unnecessary, and eventually, out of reach.
Why We Struggle to Be Alone With Our Thoughts
We are increasingly filling every moment with input—podcasts, music, notifications, content. But what happens when there’s nothing directing our attention? This article explores why being alone with our thoughts can feel uncomfortable, and what constant input may be changing about how we think.