So you were sitting down doing an assignment on your computer then suddenly saw a random picture that totally caught your attention to the extent that you clicked on it to see where it leads. I am pretty sure this situation happened so many times to you before.

When was the last time someone caught your attention in a second?
And why do you sometimes look at some stuff then yawn instead of feeling curious or interested?

The answer is simple. There is a certain algorithm that runs in your brain whenever you see something, and if that thing seemed useful, your brain would make you more interested in it, or in other words, this thing will catch your attention.

5 reasons why some things instantly grab your attention

1) Because you need it: Whether you are aware of it or not, your mind is always in a constant search of the things that can help you satisfy your important needs. I am sure you already know that a food picture will seem much more interesting to you if you were Hungry. The same goes for emotional hunger, which determines the wide range of things you might find interesting

2) It’s novel: Our minds are much more stimulated by novelty than you could ever think. Just seeing something you have never seen before can get you hooked up even if that thing wasn’t directly related to your core needs.

3) You can’t understand it: Do you remember the last time you searched for some information online? Do you remember when you stopped? Most probably, you stopped when you got your answers. We don’t understand things quickly, grab our attention and force us to think about them even more. The more mysterious you seem to be, the more you will catch the attention of your target

4) Because you want to run away: Sometimes things catch our attention because we want to run away from the current moment. Nostalgia is a great example where something pleasant that happened from the past quickly grabs our attention and forces us to indulge in thoughts about the beautiful past

5) Because it’s cute: You might wonder what does cuteness has to do with attention-grabbing, but in fact, studies have shown that we are wired to get distracted by cute little things. Whether it’s a small cat or a beautiful baby, the algorithm in our brains gets us hooked quickly when we encounter cuteness.

How can you use this information?

You can use this information to do two things. The first is understanding yourself and your needs perfectly. After all, if you knew why some things capture your attention, you will quickly figure out your core needs and the things that matter to your subconscious mind the most.

The second use is to be able to capture the attention of people. Whether you are selling a product or just trying to attract someone you like, you will need to find out what grabs your target’s attention. Each person has different needs, and because of these differences, what attracts a person might not attract the other. This is why the best way to attract someone to you is first to understand him.