Is it normal to start reading a book but then suddenly realize that you have no idea what's going on in the plot because you have been reading the words but ignoring their meaning?

AvaddonLFC ☄️ 🤘@lemmy.world to No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world – 412 points –

Happens way too often to me.

edit: I had no idea this was such a common issue!

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I feel like I used to do this a lot. But less so these days, probably because my mind is less racing and distracted. I am more mindful in general.

It's also similar to someone talking to me and I'm nodding my head, and occasionally reply with something semi-coherent, yet I actually barely have an idea what they actually said. Its almost like a kind of shallow "chatGPT mode" of listening where I can reply in shallow ways but I have no comprehension.

These are both very common ADHD symptoms. Not trying to diagnose you, just putting it out there as something you might want to consider researching further if these things cause you difficulties or problems.

@the_itsb No longer causes me problems 🙏. I mainly solved these things by re-arranging my lifestyle and meditating a lot and now my mind is comparatively clear, lucid and focused. People seem pretty trigger happy on the ADHD diagnoses these days. I think it's too easy to develop a distracted mind in todays world, but there are also practices that can un-distract it. If on rare occasion I find myself unable to listen, its pretty obvious that I am in distraction mode or neglected to meditate.