The Selective Attention Test is a famous experiment in perceptual psychology that demonstrates how strongly attention shapes our perceptions. In light of this experiment, I think it is interesting to consider the question of how much valuable information we have thrown away because we simply didn't notice it or weren't in a position where we could appreciate the importance. My intuition is that we have missed more information than we've actually absorbed.

I would like to consider the question of what is there to notice, in particular what things will provide us with value once we gain the prerequisite knowledge and habits to allow us to effectively perceive it. One example is that after I started a course on Art History, I gained the ability to notice more about possible meanings and interesting aspects of art. This is fantastic, because art is everywhere. Now that I have a basic ability to appreciate art I gain some level of growth almost for free, just from seeing art in places where I'd have gone anyway. I'm hoping to do a film studies course next year, since, like almost everyone, I watch movies anyway and want to get as much out of them as I can.

Marketing is likely another example. Someone who has studied marketing may unconsciously evaluate every ad that they see, and after seeing enough examples, gain a strong understanding of what counts as a good ad and what counts as a bad ad. Perhaps this won't be totally free, perhaps they will sometimes see something and not know why it is good until they think about it for a bit. However, this knowledge is mostly free, in that after you understand the basic principles, you gain some level of growth for a minimal investment.

I think that another more general situation like this is those activities that are a form of creation. If you try writing a few stories, then when you read a story you'll have a greater appreciation of what the author is trying to do. If you've played guitar, then when you listen to music you'll learn about the different techniques that guitarists use. If you've played sport, then you'll probably have a greater appreciation for strategy when watching a game.

Professional comedy writers are always looking for jokes. Whenever unusual or bad or unexpected happens, they note it so that they can try to find a manner of forming it into a joke later. I've heard that actors become attuned to different people's quirks, body language and manner of speaking.

The idea here is to figure out what you are doing anyway and find a method of quickly gaining a critical mass of knowledge. I believe that if you were to manage this for a number of areas, then there could be rather large long term advantages. Any thoughts on areas I've missed or methods of getting up to speed for these areas quickly?