This post is a response to a question posed in its full format as follows: “Distraction is a barrier to critical thinking. What is an example of a situation where you have or might in the future encounter the barrier of distractions?”

Referring to distraction as a “barrier” is a misnomer because critical thinking relies on focused effort, while distraction is a dilution in focus.

It would be like describing apathy toward physical exercise as a barrier to physical fitness. The lack of motivation to exercise isn’t a barrier per se, but the reasons for or causes of that apathy are.

It can inhibit effectiveness or prevent resolution not because it prohibits effort but because it drains effort at the moment that would otherwise be required to achieve it.

Distractions occur all the time and every day. This question is an example of a distraction because I’m trying to fall back asleep after waking up at four in the morning and find myself thinking about something I’ve been working on, which has preoccupied my attention to such a degree that I’ve become fully awake.

That’s a problem because it will mean a dramatic loss of energy at about three in the afternoon when I should be working on my project in earnest in front of my computer to record my thoughts and flesh out my ideas more concretely and productively.

To distract myself, I turned to Quora to earmark a few questions I might answer and found this question I am currently answering.

In this case, the distraction has been beneficial because answering this question has drained my focus on strategizing and made it easier to relax enough to feel the stupor return. Hopefully, I’ll be able to fall back asleep soon and get a few more hours to have a productive day when I wake up.

In this case, distraction is a means of helping me reserve energy for tackling a critical thinking activity ahead of me at a time when I will need to focus my thoughts.

In this case, distraction isn’t a barrier but an assistant. (Except for all the typos I’m prone to making with “fumble thumbs” on my phone.)

Distraction can be helpful in many ways, such as when one encounters a mental block and fails to make progress on something. Walking away from the problem can relax the mind and allow solutions to emerge spontaneously.

The word “Eureka” was made famous by the value of distraction in the story of Archimedes when he distracted himself from a problem he was stuck on and decided on a bath to relax.

https://www.livescience.com/58839-archimedes-principle.html

(Dang! One thought leads to another, and a simple answer becomes a long story that wakes me up. Suddenly, distraction has become a problem.)

Suddenly, this question became the example you asked for, which has become a clue for me to end this here.

Hopefully, I’ve given you some food for critical thinking about distractions.

Cheerz

Oh… ya… to summarize, distractions can be helpful, but they can quickly get out of hand if it doesn’t restrain them enough to lose their focus on a problem for so long that it remains unresolved. Short distractions can otherwise clear mental clutter and allow one to refocus their thoughts to make progress on their critical thinking activities.

Damn! Dunno if I’m gonna be able to fall asleep now… Maybe I should have left this question half-answered.

zzzzzzz