Do you ever feel that the harder you try to keep yourself from making the same mistake twice, the more difficult getting it right becomes? Believe me, this phenomenon is not unique to you.
Researchers have found that the harder you try to avoid repeating a mistake – like calling someone the wrong name or making a wrong turn – the more likely you are to do it again.
It’s like calling your girlfriend by your ex-girlfriend’s name for the second time: It’s a mistake you would never intentionally repeat, but the powerful desire to avoid it can increase the likelihood that you might. This is due to neural pathways that formed when the first mistake occurred.
Now imagine that one part of your brain is shouting “Don’t screw this up again!” while another part is skipping merrily down the path of least resistance and preparing to replay its former blunder. Your brain responds to these conflicting messages and information overloads by shutting out the command and heading straight down its familiar path to perdition. Before you know it, you end up lost or in the doghouse again.
Aside from offering profuse apologies or cursing your stupidity, what’s the best way to deal with a faulty memory? They say that learning happens best when there’s a test involved, and the more you test your memory, the stronger it becomes.
So make a point of using someone’s name frequently or writing down the directions or information you need to know. It’s a great way to train your brain before the next big test appears.
I’m Suzanne Degges-White, and that’s my perspective.
