More specifically, active looking versus passive looking. We can use these two basic modes to differentiate how we are looking at a given occurrence and make sure that mode of looking matches up with our goals of the moment. By looking I mean in the more broad sens of paying attention.
Let me first say that passive looking is awesome! I love zoning out to a movie, gazing up at a deep blue sky, getting lost in the trees, staring at my toes (I do that a lot), or watching the people passing by. Sometimes it is a great thing to simply let the mind drift amongst the incoming signals.
However, there are some occasions where passive looking does not quite cut the mustard. A few examples:
- Driving (Look out pedestrians!)
- Performing surgery (Wait, which kidney was I supposed to yank?)
- Listening to a loved one (Mmmm, hmmm. Yup. Great dear. Uh-huh….)
- Chopping carrots (Youch!)
You get the idea.
Active looking is also a very good idea when we want to learn something, and truly absorb it. This can come in several modes. Here are a few:
- Investigating. Here is where we are trying to discern what is really occurring, or has occurred in a confusing or obfuscated situation.
- Observing. This is the mode we go into when we want to figure out how something is being done or accomplished.
- Learning. A great head space to be in for taking in material in a way where we can modify future behavior.
- Memorizing. Awesome for all those little things like social security numbers, your boy friend’s digits, or your mom’s birthday (August 15th, yo!)
At any given moment our looking can be in an active or passive mode, and it’s not a bad idea to check in once in a while to see the type of looking we are employing. Especially when we want to be in active looking mode, like when reading a blog post by a cool guy who give out lots of keen little tips and tricks. 
Peace!
Tags: Distinctions, Habits, Learning
