A distractor is something that tries to trick you into paying attention to it instead of what you're supposed to be focusing on.
Imagine you're trying to eat your favorite cookies, but there's a shiny toy on the table. That toy is like a distractor, it makes you want to look at it and play with it, even though you were supposed to be eating cookies!
Like a Bunch of Friends Trying to Get Your Attention
Think about when you're playing a game with your friends, and someone starts telling you a funny story. That person is like a distractor, they want your attention so much that you might forget what you were doing in the game.
Sometimes, there are more than one distractor, like if both the toy and the funny story happen at the same time. Now you have two things trying to get your attention!
But don’t worry, once you notice the distractors, you can choose to go back to what you were doing!
Examples
- You're trying to listen to your friend talk, but there's loud music playing next door.
- While cooking, you smell your favorite food and forget about what you were making.
Ask a question
See also
- What are intuitions?
- How do you make decisions?
- What is System 1?
- Who is Decision Making?
- What are hidden consequences?