Observe the World Like You Never Before

You may think you are a genius.
You are not.

This is not an insult. It is part of the point.

The color of my T-shirt just changed. Did you see it? This small change shows one of the most powerful abilities humans have. People use it in many fields. Detectives, agents, psychologists, mentalists, scientists, magicians, and billionaires use it every day.

Leonardo da Vinci used it to paint the Mona Lisa. Charles Darwin used it to create the Theory of Evolution. Newton used it when he saw an apple fall and thought about gravity. Elon Musk used it to imagine life on Mars.

This ability helped us learn to walk when we were children. It helped us speak, know faces, understand language, and feel emotions. But with time, most of us stop using it in the right way.

This ability is called observation.

Why Observation is Important

When we stop using our observation skills, our work quality goes down. Career growth slows. Mental problems like overthinking and stress start. We also become part of the 99 percent who move through life without really seeing it.

What if you could observe like Sherlock Holmes? What if you could use all your senses fully? It could improve your relationships, career, and personality.

By the way, the text on my T-shirt has already changed twice in the last two minutes.

In the next few minutes, I will test your brain five times. These tests will challenge your memory, senses, and focus. Each test will make your observation better. The last test, The Room Case, will show you how to see things that most people miss.

First Test: Are You Really Paying Attention?

Imagine you are flying a plane with 20 people on board. One engine catches fire. There are 12 parachutes. Six people jump. Two parachutes break in the air. Now there are 4 parachutes left and 14 people.

Question: What is the age of the pilot?

If you tried to calculate it, you missed the point. The pilot is you.

This is called detail capturing.

Marilyn vos Savant, who has one of the highest IQ scores in the world, said:

To get knowledge, you must study. To get wisdom, you must observe.

Observation in Real Life: The Story of Safin Hassan

Safin Hassan is India’s youngest IPS officer. He passed the UPSC exam on his first try at age 22. This exam is very hard and people prepare for years.

While in college, he spent four years observing other students who tried for the exam. He learned from their mistakes. He also worked with NGOs and studied the lives of the people he wanted to serve.

One month before his interview, he became very sick and could not prepare. But his years of observation helped him pass the interview with the second highest marks in India.

You Already Observe More Than You Think

You notice moods from facial expressions. You can walk in the dark without hitting things. You can tell your bike from the sound of its engine. Mothers can tell what is wrong with their children by looking at them.

This is observation. But it is mostly unconscious. The problem is we rarely use it on purpose.

The Brain Attic

The writer of Sherlock Holmes used the idea of the brain attic. Your brain is like a room. You choose what details or “furniture” to keep inside.

If your attic is filled with useful details, you will see them in the world. If it is filled with random things, you will miss important details.

For example, a police officer will notice a bike parked on the street that was not there before. Most people will not.

The Memory Problem

Even if you observe something, you may forget it quickly. Our short-term memory can usually hold only about seven items at a time.

You can solve this with the Memory Palace Technique. This method turns details into a story in a place you know well.

For example, to remember a grocery list, you can imagine a pizza dancing on your table, eggs falling from the ceiling, and apples looking at you from inside the fridge. Strange images help the brain remember better.

The Thought Cloud

Observation comes before thought. First, your senses collect information. Then your brain turns it into thoughts. But if your mind is full of too many thoughts, you will miss details.

This is called the thought cloud.

You can clear it with the box breathing technique. Sit with your back straight. Breathe in for four seconds. Hold your breath for four seconds. Breathe out for four seconds. Hold again for four seconds. Repeat three times. This helps you return to the present moment.

How to Observe: The Room Case

In the last test, you see a busy room for five seconds. People talk, spill coffee, turn pages. You may notice some details.

Now close your eyes and listen. You hear new sounds you did not notice before. This shows that using all senses makes you a better observer.

Try this every day:

• Notice 5 things you can see
• Notice 4 things you can touch
• Notice 3 things you can hear
• Notice 2 things you can smell
• Notice 1 thing you can taste

The Benefits

If you practice observation regularly, you can reduce overthinking. You can improve creativity. You can build better relationships. You can feel less lonely and more confident.

As philosopher J. Krishnamurti said:

“Observation of the observer” means to see the one inside you who sees the world.

So, are you just looking at life or are you really observing it?