The effect of unfinished action is one of the features of the human psyche. The famous psychologist Kurt Levin became interested in him at one time. One day, sitting in a restaurant, he called the waiter - a very diligent young man - and asked him what dishes the newly arrived couple had ordered for themselves at the next table. The waiter, without even looking at the notebook, immediately listed the ordered dishes. Then the psychologist asked the young man what the couple had ordered, who had just paid and were heading for the exit. In this case, the young man hesitated. He had to look at his notebook to refresh his memory.
It would seem, according to the logic of things, the restaurant employee should have perfectly remembered what the departed ordered. He just served them: he took the order, wrote it down in a notebook, then brought the dishes, issued an invoice and received the money. It happened not yesterday, but just a few minutes ago. However, the waiter perfectly remembered the order he had just received, and almost immediately forgot the old one.
This behavior of a young man is explained very simply. People quickly forget completed actions. I answered in the lesson and as if I had not taught the whole evening before. There is nothing left in my head. All knowledge immediately vanished after the answer. This is a common occurrence. Everything that is completed is forgotten, and only unfinished and unsaid remains in the memory.
Going to bed, a person mentally replays the events of the past day in his head. And the first thing he remembers is what he did not manage to do or finish. An unfinished action is a thorn in the memory. The desire to finish is the stronger, the closer the work is to the end, the stronger the motive for achieving the goal is. A person seeks to complete the work he has begun and is irritated if for some reason it does not work out.
This feature of the psyche can be used to your advantage. Sometimes it is difficult to start a new business, because there is neither desire nor mood. The case is postponed "until tomorrow", then "until Monday." Weeks and even months can pass like this. To prevent this, it is better to start right away in the evening, that is, to simulate the situation of an unfinished action. The more is done, the greater the need to continue the next day.
A person is so constructed that he seeks to complete an action, even if it has lost its necessity. It happens that a student, caught unawares by a teacher's question, comes home and looks for an answer to an unfortunate question, although he has already received a grade, and the answer found will not change anything. But the student still searches until he finds it. Here we need to make a small reservation. They look for an answer "after the fact" if the question seems really important.
When engaging in an activity, one must always take into account the effect of an unfinished action. It can be useful in many life situations. It is possible to skillfully use this feature of the psyche in relation to other people. Almost everyone subconsciously strives to complete what they have begun. But in life, one of the main qualities is the ability to bring any business to the end.
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Vladimir Ivlev