thinking

Picture this: You’re engrossed in a gripping mystery novel, only to be forced to put it down just as the plot reaches a fever pitch. Or, maybe you’re in the middle of a complex work project when an unexpected meeting pulls you away. Those unresolved plot twists and lingering to-dos have an uncanny way of sticking in your mind, nagging you far more insistently than tasks you’ve successfully finished. This mental quirk is known as the Zeigarnik Effect. Named after Bluma Zeigarnik, a trailblazing Soviet-Lithuanian psychologist, this phenomenon describes our peculiar tendency to remember unfinished or interrupted tasks better than those we’ve completed. It’s as if our brains simply cannot tolerate loose ends and unresolved storylines. The Science Behind the Mental Itch The Zeigarnik Effect has fascinated psychologists for nearly a century. So, why do interruptions stick with us so powerfully? Here’s how it works: Motivational Tension: When you embark on a task, your brain