Page 63 - How to Develop A SUPER-POWER MEMORY

How to Train Your Observation 67
guess that most of you are nodding, "Yes, of course, that's
what it says." Well, at the risk of being repetitious, check
it again, will you?
Have you looked at it again? If you still think it reads,
"Paris in the spring," your observation is not as keen as it
should be. If you will check it once more, and this time
point to each word as you read the phrase, you will be
amazed to discover that it reads, "Paris in the the spring"!
There is one "the" too many in the phrase!
Now you see why I asked you to look at it repeatedly. I
wanted to prove that you could look at it any number of
times and still not notice the extra "the." If you did notice
it right away, don't feel too elated. I honestly didn't know
whether this little stunt would be as effective when it
appeared on top of a page of print, as when used by itself.
You see, I've tested hundreds of people with this, and only
one or two spotted it quickly. Prove it to yourself by print-
ing it just exactly as I have it, on a 3x5 index card, or on
a piece of paper of similar size. The little x under the
word, "spring" is just misdirection. It tends to draw the
readers' eyes down to it, and their minds jump ahead on
the phrase itself, because it is such a familiar one. Make one
and try it with your friends. I've had people look at it as
many as ten or fifteen times, and they were willing to bet
anything that they knew just what it said. You can ask
them to read out loud directly from the card, and they still
say, "Paris in the spring"!
I am discussing this only to show that the sense of
observation could stand a little sharpening, for most of us.
As I said earlier in the book, although my systems actually
force you to observe if you apply them—your sense of
observation can be strengthened with a little practice. If
you're interested in helping your memory, don't sell observa-
tion short. You just can't remember anything that you do