In lab experiments, Zeigarnik discovered that people are likely to remember unfinished tasks almost twice as well as finished ones. This phenomenon is known as the Zeigarnik Effect, and it shows that unfinished tasks are a source of mental tension that keeps them in your mind.
And it’s not just household chores that get stuck in your mind, but people too. That’s where cognitive dissonance comes in. This phenomenon was first discovered by Leon Festinger in the 1950s. It occurs when reality doesn’t live up to your expectations. For example, your friend suddenly stops responding to your messages, or your relationship ends without any reason. Your mind is aware of the discrepancy and keeps dwelling on it.
You are Trying Too Hard to Forget Someone
When we try not to think about something or someone and do our best to oppress our thoughts, it’s exactly then that our mind turns to the thing or the person we try to forget. This phenomenon is also described by psychology, and probably one of the most famous research done on this is the one by social psychologist Daniel Wegner.
Namely, Wegner did an experiment in which he asked participants not to think about a white bear and asked them to ring a bell whenever that thought crossed their mind. The results showed just what he expected. The more the participants tried not to think of a white bear, the more they actually thought about it.
So, when you wonder why something keeps popping up in your thoughts, think of how your brain works when it comes to suppression.
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