Just Seven Things

How the Brain Loves Simplicity

I had been looking for a while how to bring into a post reference to a column by Ed Cooke for the Times a few weeks ago.  Called Mr Memory, How not to forget your keys, there were a number of things I loved:

1. Paragraph 2: ‘Almost everyone finds it difficult to recall where they’ve left their keys. There’s no doubt that it’s just much more difficult than recalling where, for instance, you last wrestled a bear or spanked a nun’

2. It re-highlights David Allen’s comments at the start of Getting Things Done which question how sophisticated the workings of the brain can be if the best way of remembering to take something to work the next day is to leave it by the door

3. Because of the simplicity implied in 2. above, it aligns with my current thinking/ theme about change coming from the application of simple things to ‘nudge’ action as opposed to top down (mind-led) command and control

4. The imbuing of the keys (or any other object which you are attempting to avoid losing) with human traits is the main topic of the short column (apparently ‘imbue your keys with character and life’). This made me think in a different way about other snippets I’ve been reading about brand, brand ‘personality’ and the avoidance of brands ‘behaving badly’ and consumers ditching them as being misaligned with their values. It leaves me with the question about how simple we really are

5. OK, it was the nun thing really……