Am I Distracting You? (Part 2)
Origin of the Word Monkey
The origins of the word monkey are unclear but it may have been derived from the Middle Dutch word monnekijn for monkey that sounds similar to the Dutch manneken or "little man".
A couple of studies have shown that chimpanzees can outperform humans at video games. They pay closer attention to their opponents patterns* and find quicker routes out of a maze.
Chimpanzees also are much better at memorising things and recalling numbers* than almost any human. Chimpanzees tested by Professor Tetsuro Matsuzawa of Kyoto's University's Primate Research Institute can all learn the positions of 19 numbers in less than one second. Only one in several thousand people (i.e. those with photographic memories) can do this.
Monkeys, Robots and Me
Monkey pulls you away from what you know you should be doing. He plays video games with you, he checks out social media sites, or just hangs out with friends. Some people may call it slacking but sometimes it's hard work keeping up with Monkey Me.
The voice in your head that tells you what you should be doing comes from Rational "Robot" Me. He is the serious one. You want to listen to him but there are so many other me's in your head that it is often difficult to hear him.
The guy in red is Actual Me, He is influenced by Monkey Me and Rational Me and my other me's. What he does is what I actually do and what is seen by everyone else.
* an asterisk at the end of a link means that if you click this link you will be taken to another site.