I found a great book, The Art of Making Memories, at a Free Little Library I pass on one of my walking routes. It’s by Meik Wiking, a happiness expert. In one section of the book, he discusses the “doorway effect.” You know, those times you walk into a room and completely forget why you went there in the first place. It’s not that we’re getting older, or are having a dumb moment, it’s our brain doing what our brains do. We often go on autopilot and in doing so, once we enter another room, it interrupts our thinking and switches us over to what we normally do in said rooms.
Wiking says, “the idea is that the act of walking through the doorway makes the brain believe that a new scene has begun and that there is no need for memories from the old scene.” It’s good to know there’s a real name for this and there isn’t anything wrong with me. I’ve relayed this random tidbit of information to several people and they have sighed with relief. “So it’s not me!” No, it’s not you.
Now I’m wondering if the same phenomenon applies online. Surely it does. With a plethora of tabs open in my browser, I go to one and forget what I intended to do or search. Anyone else have that problem? Or I get on my phone to open a certain app, swipe through a page, and forget “where” I’m going. Sigh… Seems to me this also happens with online environments. My brain is just doing what it’s supposed to do. It’s not me.
Nerds Beget Nerds 
Oh my gosh! I love that there’s a name for this. I’m with you – so glad it’s not just me who experiences those moments of full stop, eyebrows wrinkle together, and thoughts reverse to find clarity. No big deal, just a new scene!
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Right? No need to worry about forgetting. Blame it on the doorway.
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That’s an interesting idea! I am curious to know more about that as well
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There is a ton of information on the subject. It’s fun to poke around to see what’s out there.
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Oh my goodness, this is so relevant, I do it all the time, particularly with tabs on the computer. Thanks for the reassurance! And to the guy who bothered to write a book about it!
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I’m wondering how in the world the researchers even came up with the idea to study the phenomenon. Topics of study are fascinating.
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Fascinating…and I love that, perhaps, there is an extension into our online wanderings, too.
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I see each site as a separate “room” and have often found myself going to a saved site for something and stare blankly at the screen. Of course, once I close the tab and move on to something else, I eventually remember.
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This is so interesting! Now I want to read more of the book. What a great find from a free library!
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I have found some great reads from the ones in my neighborhood.
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