The mental program always running in the background: The brain hard at work behind my quiet face
Sorry if you saw me and I didn’t say hi back.
I probably didn’t see you.
I mean, I’m sure my retinas recorded your presence but my brain had its world blocker up.
Oh, you don’t have a world blocker?
Well, it’s like an ad blocker, but instead of blocking ads, it blocks various sensory information from the world (depending on my needs).
Let me explain.
In a Crowded Area Setting
The crowded area setting is one of the strictest. This one lets in the general crowd ambience (because I find that good background noise) but anything more specific — individual words and conversations, the number of people around me, faces, identities — gets blocked out. I process a small circle of space around me, enough to not bump into people while walking (this no-bumping add-on still needs work though; I’ve read the reviews).
So your face in that crowd is just one of many and I need a moment to adjust the setting to recognize individuals.
In My Comfort Zone Setting
The comfortable person/place setting is my favorite but rarely used. It requires the least amount of energy and programming.
Conversation in a Noisy Space Setting
The setting for one-on-one conversation in a restaurant/noisy small space is a popular, often-used feature. The developers are always releasing new updates to reduce persistent bugs like other conversations drowning out the conversation happening in front of me, forcing me to read lips to know what people are saying.
Feeling Uncomfortable Setting
The uncomfortable person/situation setting has been in development for years and needs constant updates. It blocks out distracting sensations like the hot sun burning my skin and my own voice while I’m speaking. It also attempts to minimize my alarm at the possibly-negative facial expressions of others.
Dance Setting
The dance setting is only needed in serious settings. It blocks my automatic dance response to music. It’s not always 100% accurate but good enough. At the boba shop, I keep it at the lowest level. That playlist is way too good not to dance a bit.
Focus Setting
The focus setting may be the most powerful. Countless people have tried to bypass its auditory and visual blocking with no success. With persistence, the security will allow a little of the signal through, enough to lift my head up from my book or project and ask “Huh?”
But the blocker can’t filter out my automatic irritation and confusion from being interrupted, so please be patient.