# Preoccupation of the mind or ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2013, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213 "2013-09-06T22:40:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/1 "2013-09-06T22:40:58Z")
I can’t decide if this is more about conditioned habits, or not being able to think about two things at once, or me just being a complete idiot. But on one more than occasion, including today, I found myself saying to myself, “don’t forget to turn off at that offramp” and then minutes later, passing it right by, completely unaware. :smack: To what would you attribute this? ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/2 "2013-09-06T22:47:16Z")
Being distracted. It happens occasionally - ill be tired or have a lot on my mind and just forget to do the most obvious things. “Oh, you heat up spaghetti sauce? That’s right.”. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/3 "2013-09-06T23:05:38Z")
if you’re still trying to maintain abstinence, **want2befree** , it might be worth knowing that brain fog is a common experience while your body readjusts. Otherwise, just feel part of the crowd. Most people have very short attention spans these days. Too many stimuli. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/4 "2013-09-06T23:07:39Z")
> [@Tethered\_Kite](#): > > if you’re still trying to maintain abstinence, **want2befree** , it might be worth knowing that brain fog is a common experience while your body readjusts. Sadly, no abstinence to maintain. ---
**Author:** ![Faruiza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@Faruiza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faruiza)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/5 "2013-09-06T23:09:01Z")
I am intimately familiar with someone _cough_ who does that a lot when they’re _ahem_ stoned.:o What? ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/6 "2013-09-06T23:18:12Z")
> [@Faruiza](#): > > I am intimately familiar with someone _cough_ who does that a lot when they’re _ahem_ stoned.:o That’s one thing I’ve never done. ---
**Author:** ![Faruiza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@Faruiza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faruiza)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/7 "2013-09-11T05:37:11Z")
Eh, maybe you’re missing something, maybe you’re not. One thing seems sure…you wouldn’t remember it anyway!😃 ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@LilyoftheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheField)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/8 "2013-09-11T18:35:33Z")
there are those who say that the subconscious does not recognize the negative, therefore saying ‘don’t think about a white elephant’ will immediately cause you to think about a white elephant and thinking ‘don’t forget about the off ramp’ will immediately cause you to forget about the off ramp. the subconscious can be sneaky that way. next time, try saying ‘I’m going to remember to take that off ramp’ and let us know how it works out… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/9 "2013-09-11T21:58:43Z")
I used to do that a lot. Or, a more likely case, when I had a daily drive that had 10 minutes on one freeway, 10 on another, and then 10 on a third, all looking the same, I’d be crusing along and wonder which the hell segment I was on so I could look for the next turn. These days I keep the GPS turned on, even between home and work … _especially_ between home and work, actually, because I go on autopilot, watching traffic around me closely but otherwise my mind is elsewhere. When my mind comes up for air, I like to know where I am. My wife says something about a house or building on a corner. I say “what?” She says, “How can you not know: you drive past it twice every weekday!” Hmm ok. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/10 "2013-09-11T23:55:53Z")
Alcohol pickles your brain. Long term exposure can induce these sorts of effects. Few drinkers ever get the opportunity to step back from the precipice. Instead they rationalize away the pretty clear symptoms that the trains about to go off the track. Once the cumulative effects begin to manifest it’s a pretty short journey to never being able to see things or understand things clearly. You’re already rationalizing away a whole lot of things, and you know it. It really only worsens. I get the impression you are self aware enough to recognize that things are changing. In my opinion you’ve been granted an enormous opportunity. I think you can see what you know you should do, recognize that you’re at a precipice, that this is kinda your moment to sink or swim. You have two kids, don’t rationalize away your obligations to them, just so you can continue to drink. And if you do, at least have the ovaries to own it, no more weaselling bullshit rationalizations. (I’m a strong believer that the Gods send a pebble before a brick. Ignore the pebble at your peril!) ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preoccupation-of-the-mind-or/668213/11 "2013-09-12T22:50:02Z")
You reminded yourself because you knew you were distracted.