The attention game

Originally posted by Skyfloating

Before I started the thread I asked myself "Should I do a Paranormal-Forum version of this or a Psychology-Forum version of this?" and decided for the latter, thereby ommitting all the deeper energy aspects...and it does get much deeper than this.

I agree. It does have ramifications that fall outside "ordinary" psychology.

For example, giving attention without regard to what you will "get" in return, just so happens to be a tremendously effective way to gain attention. Very much in keeping with the "mystical" law that you give to receive. Not beg to receive.

When you willingly give others your full attention without making them pretend to be something they are not, quite often, they will seek your company.

Of course it can have an opposite effect. Those who are absolutely certain that who and what they really are is unworthy of attention and acceptance may avoid you. They dont want anyone looking past their social mask at their real face.

Originally posted by Skyfloating

Since your in martial arts I suspect you know a great deal more about the subject. Would you say that martial arts has just as much to do with deflecting attention?

In other words, pretending to be just about to use my left arm while using my right? (Hope this is understandable)

This could also be the same thing as when a magician uses the art of distraction. He directs your attention to something else, so you don't notice how the trick was pulled off. Or with shoplifters who work in pairs, one does the distracting while the other one does the thieving.

reply to post by violet


yes, thats what I meant. Thank you violet.

Ive had the impression in sports, that sometimes its even enough to only pretend to intend to be moving in one direction in order to get ones opponent off-guard.

Sounds strange, but its been my experience.

Whoa.

I wonder how much energy does those rockstar have?

People crying for them, looking for them, screaming for them, singing for them, using their t-shirts, glueing posters on their room walls, thinking about them, waiting weeks in the line to enter the show, making cover of them, wanting to be them, reading about them, talking about them. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Esoteric Marketing!

I'm not an occult specialist, but I think we can call that an Egregore?

Now I see why Hitler conquered Germany: there were swastikas all over the place! And every single person was doing the "heil ritla!11" gesture and saying his name!

It makes me even more concious of the books, sites, newspapers I read, the people I talk to, the things I direct my vision focus...

PS.: My post demanded a bit of attention.

I think Lemurs are just a lot hungrier than Apes. Considering the climate they live in, and the fact that they are smaller and have to fight harder, be sneakier, and are hyper, makes them more likely to go after food others might be looking at.

Apes get first pick usually because they are bigger and more powerful. Scarier too.
Other smaller primates get out of their way.

Power is not always sought by those who have our attention, but if we feel less powerful than someone or something it is often a motivation to learn and observe and watch them, to gain knowledge, skills, objects we desire. If we DEPEND on those with power because we can't get for ourselves, or haven't figured out how, we will pay a lot of attention. If attention is energy, then we send it out with some kind of motive. The motive to learn. The motive to enjoy watching, the motive to admire. And all the other motives we have developed as humans.

We can choose what we pay attention to, but in the end, what we don't pay attention to can lead us to deny many aspects and "energies" that we could learn from.
To follow your nose, to desire, seems to me to be the "pointer" in the direction we wish to go. So to pay attention to how and what we pay attention to is a great skill in life, I agree. To tell yourself not to do what you desire, or tell yourself not to pay attention to something you wish to, is the highest dishonesty to oneself imo. To deny your desires because of what kind of attention it might get can cause all kinds of unhappiness. Following your bliss, is paying attention to what one wants to pay attention to without guilt.

Yes, people use it to their advantage. We all want things, desire things, and many of us are curious about experiencing as many types of enjoyment that the world has to offer. Many of us don't want people to pay attention to certain things, and get angry when they do. Many of us willingly pay attention to things that others think are wrong or bad or judge them as such. But, for example, if a person wants to watch the news obsessively, then I won't feel sorry for them when they think the world is going to hell. They choose to look at the world from that perspective, while not paying attention to what is good and beautiful in it.

What makes a person choose to pay attention is largely based on the personality, and what it has learned to do. In this there is much diversity. Because we pay attention to different things, and then share our ideas (sometimes with extra !!!! because we think it is important) we can learn a lot from what others pay attention to. Like lemurs or lemmings we just might get what we desire. Either find that hidden thing to eat, or just fall over a cliff doing what others do and want because we aren't smart enough to think for ourselves.

[edit on 3-2-2009 by seagrass]

In marketing certain colours are said to get more attention.
Red and Yellow are predominantly used.

We must apply what we ready in real life. It's not just theory, It's pratice. Not only the information is power.

I just noticed how people will try to command you to get your attention to things THEY think are important.

Examples:

"Look at that beatiful girl..."

"See, here that mess that they made..."

"Come Here!"

Of course I ignore them, mainly if I'm doing my tasks. My things always have higher priority. It's different than being egoistic, It's about having self-discipline and self-value.

In advertising It's more obvious... "Call now", "Buy Now, "By now", "Watch now", "Download now", "Click here".

Then we have the never ending over-stimulation of TV, sugar, coffee, myspace, booze, drugs...

I also noticed that I (myself) demanded attention of other people too, mainly in the Internet, without noticing it. As personal, as universal!

I also know now that, considering the 'power of the less interested', I mostly end conversations and calls first. That's powerful. No matter if It's a supermodel or the president of my country. I'm the most important person of that #ing life and that's more attractive and charming than being super nice guy.

I also learned to use less words in my conversation. Very powerful if well made.


Bonus thoughts of the day: Peacock

The male peacock displays his tail feathers to attract attention during courtship.

To attract attention, during courtship and at other times, the male lifts the train and spreads it out in a fan that arches over the bird's back and touches the ground on either side. The train is supported by the short, stiff tail feathers. The plumage of the train is spotted with eye-shaped markings in gold, green, and purple.

The male’s fan is made up of some 200 long feathers. These beautiful feathers can be some 60 inches (about 150 centimeters) in length. They are greenish-blue and feature bold spots that look like eyes. As the peacock displays his fan, he shakes its feathers so that they make a rattling noise. This also helps attract the female’s attention.

Why girls use silicone, high heels, short skirts, celebrity glasses, hair ink, make-up? Attention.

I also think that people or baby cry mostly because they demand attention!

Great stuff, I'm curious to know more of your thoughts on real life about that subject.

[edit on 5-2-2009 by infobrazil]

reply to post by Skyfloating


That is so very true. I have stopped in the middle of a street and looked off in a direction, at least 15 others around me looked as well. Humans are very needy of attention, some get tired of giving it. But when they do, the ones begging for it, begin to do other things trying to get attention, sometimes very stupid things..

Just realized today that people will risk their lives just to GET attention. Seems that if their peer group sees their 'sign' they are very happy...

www.overmundo.com.br...

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
When you willingly give others your full attention without making them pretend to be something they are not, quite often, they will seek your company.

We indeed feel uncomfortable around people who make us something we are not, dont we? Interesting point.

People talk to me... all the time. Whenever I go out of my house -- people I pass on the street, gardeners, neighbors, clerks, cops, crackheads, people in elevators and grocery stores, delivery guys, everybody. They all talk to me and often start telling me interesting and sometimes intimate stories about their lives.

It is so common that my husband just expects it and waits patiently, some of my friends are bugged by it, but it is what it is. I enjoy it. People who are not used to it, and see it for the first time are puzzled by it.

I think 'the phenomena' is motivated by the fact that I am able to effortlessly focus on people (it's not hard to do) , i.e. give them attention by 'seeing' them. And I think people love to be 'seen', it tmakes them happy and it makes me happy to make them happy and I learn the most interesting things.

Originally posted by Skyfloating

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
When you willingly give others your full attention without making them pretend to be something they are not, quite often, they will seek your company.

We indeed feel uncomfortable around people who make us something we are not, dont we? Interesting point.

I think that sometimes we seek out people that will see us the way want to be seen when we really should have a few people around us that see us as we really are.

Wow... I was just reading Blair Warren and he said something on the lines: when our mind has attention on something, we ignore our body needs... a thing that Maslow ignored

Then I just remembered that...

When we are working "in the zone", "on the flow" we can be there for hours without doing meals...

Sometimes we see the news showing people - especialy asiatics - that pass 48 hours in front of a PC playing MMORPG and then die...

etc...

[edit on 30-5-2009 by infobrazil]

Had to bump that topic again. I just had another "Aha moment" thanks to the "philosophers" of Backstreet Boys.

Analyse the lyric: Backstreet Boys - Larger Than Life

"I may run and hide
When you're screamn' my name, alright
But let me tell you now
There are prices to fame, alright
All of our time spent in flashes of light

Chorus
All you people can't you see, can't you see
How your love's affecting our reality
Every time we're down
You can make it right
And that makes you larger than life

Looking at the crowd
And I see your body sway, c'mon
Wishn' I could thank you in a different way, c'mon
'Cause all of your time spent keeps us alive

All you people can't you see, can't you see
How your love's affecting our reality
Every time we're down
You can make it right
And that makes you larger than life

All of your time spent keeps us alive

All you people can't you see, can't you see
How your love's affecting our reality
Every time we're down
You can make it right
And that makes you larger than life

Yeah, every time we're down
Yeah, you can make it right
Yeah, and that's what makes you larger than life

All you people can't you see, can't you see
How your love's affecting our reality
Every time we're down
You can make it right
And that makes you larger than life"

Interesting that a character of the clip (one of the singers) have some cables attached like in teh Matrix...

www.youtube.com...

Maybe I'm bull#ing... maybe they are talking about an esoteric truth... or truism.

Interested to view your perspective on this.

reply to post by infobrazil


Yeah...its the mass-attention that gives them the energy/power. Its a rush standing in front of that crowd. Its an energy-game.

Originally posted by Skyfloating
It is my view that we, as a society, are undereducated on a subject that steers our entire lives. That subject would be...



An Experiment

Stop on a busy street and look upwards...

notice how other heads start looking upwards too.

Thats how easy it is to steer other peoples attention. Most people not being self-determined but "on automatic", this is easy to do.

Funny thing... 5 or 6 years ago, I was walking around Hollywood with my 2 girls and a couple of friends. One of the friends was a huge attention seeker. He was a funny, funny guy, too (has since passed)

We were at a crosswalk at a busy intersection. As soon as the light turned for us to walk, we walked, and in the middle of the crosswalk, this guy, Bill, stops and looks up, then just points up to the sky. The rest of us had no choice but to just follow suit! This was just so funny. All the people in the cars were straining to look out their windows to see! I laughed so hard my stomach ached!

This guy was also constantly hoping he'd be abducted by aliens

[edit on 3-1-2010 by Skyfloating]

reply to post by blujay


Wanting to get noticed by Aliens is a type of attention-seeking isnt it. A grandiose one at that.

Originally posted by TheWayISeeIt
People talk to me... all the time. Whenever I go out of my house -- people I pass on the street, gardeners, neighbors, clerks, cops, crackheads, people in elevators and grocery stores, delivery guys, everybody. They all talk to me and often start telling me interesting and sometimes intimate stories about their lives.

It is so common that my husband just expects it and waits patiently, some of my friends are bugged by it, but it is what it is. I enjoy it. People who are not used to it, and see it for the first time are puzzled by it.

I think 'the phenomena' is motivated by the fact that I am able to effortlessly focus on people (it's not hard to do) , i.e. give them attention by 'seeing' them. And I think people love to be 'seen', it tmakes them happy and it makes me happy to make them happy and I learn the most interesting things.

That's great well written. Can I ask a little advice? How can I more easily focus on the often times boring babble of a person? I mean, I find it hard almost like torture..... Sucks wish I could find more delight in it........