Which is lighter in colour: a grass lawn or a pine tree? The lawn, right? And how did you decide? Almost certainly by “seeing” them both in your mind, and comparing the two shades of green. 【小题1】 Recent research — using this very question, along with other visualization tests — has unearthed a small but significant set of people who don’t seem to use mental images at all. The condition they have is thought to be shared by between two and five percent of the population: “aphantasia (想象障碍症)”.

While most people use mental imagery to help them remember, aphantasiacs have to use other techniques.【小题2】They can use all these routes to learn, recall, explore and apply the information they need.

Research suggests that the ability to visualize is a sliding scale. 【小题3】 Explore favorite destinations in your imagination, imagine the faces of loved ones, or recall precious objects with as much clarity as possible. Practice seeing the details as well as the “big picture”.

But it’s also really valuable to explore some of the other strategies used by people with little or no visual imagination:

• Use other senses. Be observant about sounds, textures, tastes, and particularly smells. Practice bringing these to mind, and use them whenever you can to connect with your memories.

• Think logically. Even without visual clues, you might be able to use logic to work out when something happened, where you left a possession, or how you and a friend first met.

• 【小题4】 Strong feelings help to store long-term memories, so use them to boost recall, too. How did you feel when you visited the place, watched the film, or read the book that you’re trying to recall?

【小题5】 Actually, we can all learn something from them.

Have you got any gadgets hanging around your home that you no longer want or use? Between us, we have millions of bits of tech stockpiled in drawers that could be given a new lease of life.

Part of the problem for our unloved gadgets is that many become obsolete quickly because their software doesn’t get updated. Other items are left unused because they’re broken or they’ve become replaced by a fancy new version. Many of these items are electronics, but despite them appearing to be past their sell-by date, they don’t need to end up in landfill. And here are some tips for you to make the most of our unwanted gadgets.

Materials used to make them can be extracted and reused in other things. As an example, Elisabeth Ratcliffe from the Royal Society of Chemistry told the BBC: “There are about thirty different elements just in a smartphone, and many of them are very rare. ” These can be used in touch screens and solar panels.

Probably the best approach to our throwaway culture is to repair our broken tech. This takes patience and skill, which can be learnt at repair clubs and repair cafés—free meeting places where you’ ll find tools and materials to help you make any repairs you need. In the UK, the interest in mending our stuff and giving it a new life is reflected by the popularity of a TV series called The Repair Shop, where craftspeople rescue and resurrect items their owners thought were beyond saving.

You can breathe new life into unwanted stuff by transforming it into valuable pieces or collectable retro items. These could be sold on, meaning you can make some cash from your junk and create much needed space in your home!

Tips for Closing the Gaps in Relationships

Be curious, not angry

Ask in a spirit of real curiosity and openness. After you ask the question, be concerned only with understanding the other person’s story. Be ready to listen to the other person’s views and experiences. 【小题1】. Try to avoid immediate reaction. If someone says something that makes you react in the moment, breathe and put that aside to listen, and hear what they have to say.

Put body language together with intentions

【小题2】. We also express our opinions with manner of speaking and body language. Do our voice and manner show doubt, anxiety, or anger—or concern, respect, and the willingness to have an honest conversation? We can’t pretend that fears don’t exist, but we can pass on our main purpose to express concern in order to improve our connection.

Listen for understanding

Our good intentions for asking questions are not enough. 【小题3】. Explore real listening without fixed ideas. Try to listen not only for content but for feelings, for disagreement, as well as for chances and ways to settle problems together.

【小题4】

Of course, how the other person reacts will determine the conversation that follows, which may require a good deal of openness, presence, and skill. Our reaction to whatever the person says will require continued openness, trust, kindness, clarity, and honesty. As you speak, clarify the gap between your experience of the relationship and your opinion or expectations of a healthy relationship. Noticing the gaps is helpful since it defines the problem. 【小题5】.