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[Trapezohedron]

Here's my dilemma: I can't focus on drama shows and other people conversing, since I trail off in thought or another background noise comes into focus and muddles what another person says. In effect, I can't hear well to what people talk about me when I'm being talked to, and understand much of a movie without subtitles.

I might be a bit deaf right now, but I'm pretty sure I'm not, and most conversations tend to go out of my focus very fast.

Is there a way I can focus better on other people's talk, when they're talking to me?

[MagmaMcFry]

Try avoiding automatic signals of attention (like nodding or "Yes, yes") but keep still, turn your whole body to face your conversation partner, either find or avoid eye contact (whichever works better), and answer them parrot-style ("Yes, I will give you the thirty thousand bucks if you promise not to tell everybody that I'm not left-handed"), not just yes/no, because yes/no doesn't require you to think about what the other person said.

[Gullydwarf]

Hmm I'm going to try this :-)

btw op, did you go to a doctor and ask him to take a look at your ears? Some people get regular smudge buildup due to different reasons and sometimes you just need the doctor to pressure some water into your ear cleaning out all the dirt. I hear it makes quite a difference.
Do not try this at home. Ear drums are pretty sensitive stuff and it hurts a lot when they break!

[Girlinhat]

Stare at about 200 rings of chainmail packed into a 5 inch strip of micro-sized torture.  Once you've got an attention to detail and can focus on those tiny goddam rings, then nothing seems to distract you anymore.  That worked for me, at least.

[MagmaMcFry]

"Hey, Girlinhat, did you know that I-... Hey, Girlinhat!... Are you listening to me?... Oh for f***'s sake, put that damn chainmail down!"


I see a problem there.

[King DZA]

I'm going to be completely honest here, I only clicked this topic because I misread it as "Attractiveness Failure", and I thought it would be funny.

[Girlinhat]

I'm actually more likely to stare at someone's earrings more attentively than I listen to them.  It's a little sad ._.

[Spitfire]

Do you look at their lips? It makes quite a difference if you can hear and see.

[Vector]

Keep a running script of what the conversation has discussed, and no matter what, don't let yourself think about other things.  Also, make little responses when appropriate, ask for clarifying questions, keep your eyes in their general vicinity.

I have this problem like whoa, so I wish you the best of luck =/

[Drakasin]

I have this "problem" too... and what I am about to say might sound stupid. Don't fight it if you don't need to. Your mind and imagination are the best things in the world, and if they demand your attention, then give them what they want. However, if you really want to stay focused, try to "lock" your mind on the words... repeat them in your thought and understand their meaning and their place. If you accidentaly start to think about something else and you "skipped" what other person said, tell him/her gently to repeat what he/she said since the point you lost the game focus.

[Drakasin]

I accidentaly clicked on Quote instead of Modify... how can I remove this post?

[kaenneth]

Stare at about 200 rings of chainmail packed into a 5 inch strip of micro-sized torture.  Once you've got an attention to detail and can focus on those tiny goddam rings, then nothing seems to distract you anymore.  That worked for me, at least.

I once tried to make a chainmail vest, (by wrapping wire around a wooden dowel, and snipping in a line to make the rings) but I only managed to make a 10x20ish sized peice before getting tired of it, so I wrapped it around the penguin on top of my TV set (Monty Python ref.) so that it'll become schrapnel when it explodes.

Which reminds me, I need to get back on ADHD medication, which is what I expected the OP to be asking about.