Attention Deficit vs. Attention Surfeit

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Seems to be running rampant, doesn’t it? We hear about it in both children and adults. “Experts” point to many potential causes: diet, heredity, environment, stress, chemical imbalance, hard-wiring. Who knows?

I’m reminded of a clever description of a map as a kind of filter. When we look at a map of Manhattan subway lines we see the general outline of the

island and the subway lines and stations. For the most part we don’t see streets, buildings, power lines, water lines, bus routes, or mail delivery routes. All of those items (and many others) have been filtered out so that we can direct our attention to the subject of the map: subway lines. Similarly, our ability to focus on a particular task is really an ability to filter out all other tasks and distractions for a period of time. The person with ADD is less good at that filtering. He tends to be distracted by the next ‘shiny metal object’ that he comes across. The word “deficit” puts this tendency in a negative light.

But what about the person who is very good at focusing on a single task, the one who is very good at filtering out ‘distractions’? That ability is usually seen in a positive light, and the individual often praised for his ability and singled out as more likely to succeed in the world.

I wonder if there isn’t a disorder on the opposite side of the spectrum that is characterized by excessive filtering and focus. What’s the downside of too much focus? I sometimes find that after I set myself a task I focus on it to such an extent that I can no longer see alternatives. I stubbornly persist in plodding down the path I’ve envisioned, even though the going may be tough. The tougher it gets, the more I persist. I'm in harness and I keep moving forward. I lose awareness of anything off the path. I don’t see other paths, I don’t reconsider the task, I don’t go back and rethink. I don’t even take a break. I just push on. I may well get to the end, but I’m probably miserable by the end, and I might have accomplished something that was ill-considered in the first place. I’ve wasted valuable time and mental energy. Excessive focus can deny me the ability to see outside the box. It can prevent me from seeing what I need to see when I need to see it. It can stifle creativity and bog me down in tedium. I can fall into this trap in many areas, including professional work, relationships, and even ‘leisure’ activities. Yes, I can take something that is supposed to be fun (a hobby or pastime) and make it into a real chore. Now that’s an accomplishment.

I’m no psychologist but I presume that there is such a disorder and it has a name (or two). I’ll call it ASD (Attention Surfeit Disorder). I can tell you from personal experience that it’s neither fun nor productive.

Surely we need a healthy balance between focus on the task at hand, and the ability to step back and see ourselves in a larger context at all times. How do we achieve that? Beats me. Awareness helps. If I’m able to see how small I’ve made the box for myself a few times, I’m more likely to recognize the feeling the next time it happens.

For now I’m content to remind myself that the ability to focus is not an exclusively good thing, and allowing oneself to be ‘distracted’ is not an exclusively bad thing. Sometimes a few good distractions (enhancements, observations, adjustments, second thoughts) are just what the doctor ordered. At least for this donkey.