--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To put it bluntly, research shows that we…" description: "\"To put it bluntly, research shows that we can’t multitask. We are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously.\" — John Me..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/john-medina-7046_attention_to-put-it-bluntly-research-shows-that-we_1180024.png" --- # To put it bluntly, research shows that we can’t multitask… ![“To put it bluntly, research shows that we can’t multitask. We are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously.” quote by John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/john-medina-7046_attention_to-put-it-bluntly-research-shows-that-we_1180024.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/john-medina-7046_attention_to-put-it-bluntly-research-shows-that-we_1180024.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/865/john-medina-7046_attention_to-put-it-bluntly-research-shows-that-we_1180024.png) > “To put it bluntly, research shows that we can’t multitask. We are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously.” [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Research shows multitasking fails; our brains cannot handle multiple attention‑heavy tasks at once. **In simple terms:** We can’t multitask effectively. Key Takeaway Focus on one task at a time. Themes attention multitasking biology Mood practical informative Type advice scientific When to use this quote - workplace - studying - creative projects Key Concepts cognitive science productivity neuroscience Questions to Reflect On - What tasks truly need single‑focus? - How can you structure work to reduce multitasking? A Different Perspective Some tasks may allow limited parallel processing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Biologically Incapable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biologically-incapable-2268682/) [Bluntly Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bluntly-research-3457257/) [Input](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/input/) [Multitask Biologically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multitask-biologically-3457255/) [Processing Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/processing-attention-3457256/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Research Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research-shows-834987/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/task/) ## Related quotes > [The brain cannot multitask. Multitasking, when it comes to paying attention, is a myth. The brain naturally focuses on concepts sequentially, one at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/the-brain-cannot-multitask-multitasking-when-it-comes-to-paying/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“A man is biologically incapable of giving ‘the look’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fennel-hudson/a-man-is-biologically-incapable-of-giving-the-look/) [Fennel Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fennel-hudson/) > [“However, research now shows that less than 50 percent of adults and children with reported cases of Lyme disease exhibit the EM rash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-singleton/however-research-now-shows-that-less-than-50-percent-of-adults-and/) [Kenneth Singleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-singleton/) > [There is a lot of research out there, which shows that when women behave like men they are penalized for it. 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To”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/the-research-shows-that-for-most-people-passion-comes-after-they-try/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [“There is a lot of research that shows reviews have a significant impact on sales. If you have more positive reviews, or even just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-sorensen/there-is-a-lot-of-research-that-shows-reviews-have-a-significant/) [Herb Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-sorensen/) > [There are so many journalists out there, I hate to say it, who are lazy and don't do their research - and it shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-preston/there-are-so-many-journalists-out-there-i-hate-to-say-it-who-are-lazy/) [Douglas Preston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-preston/) > [Research shows that women at that mid level tend to get promoted based on performance, and men tend to get promoted based on potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/research-shows-that-women-at-that-mid-level-tend-to-get-promoted/) [Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/) > [The argument goes that the pay gap only exists because of women's 'choices' of work type, hours, and child related career breaks, effectively making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bates/the-argument-goes-that-the-pay-gap-only-exists-because-of-women-s/) [Laura Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bates/) > [There's all kinds of research that shows children operate best if they start the day with some proper food inside them - it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/there-s-all-kinds-of-research-that-shows-children-operate-best-if/) [Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/) ## More by John Medina > [Don't start with the details. Start with the key ideas, and in a hierarchical fashion, form the details around these larger notions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/don-t-start-with-the-details-start-with-the-key-ideas-and-in-a/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“The more handles one creates at the moment of learning, the more likely the information is to be assessed at a later date. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/the-more-handles-one-creates-at-the-moment-of-learning-the-more/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/if-you-wanted-to-create-an-education-environment-that-was-directly/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“Every time I lectured to a group of parents-to-be about baby brain development,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/every-time-i-lectured-to-a-group-of-parents-to-be-about-baby-brain/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [We must do a better job of encouraging lifelong curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/we-must-do-a-better-job-of-encouraging-lifelong-curiosity/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“reasoning is a uniquely human talent. 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While”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/emotionally-arousing-events-tend-to-be-better-remembered-than-neutral/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“attention Brain Rule #6 We don’t pay attention to boring things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/attention-brain-rule-6-we-don-t-pay-attention-to-boring-things/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [Most brain scientists have not taught 4th grade, and don't know very much about the classroom, even though they might study learning in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/most-brain-scientists-have-not-taught-4th-grade-and-don-t-know-very/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“The more parents talk to their children, even in the earliest moments of life, the better their kids’ linguistic abilities become”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/the-more-parents-talk-to-their-children-even-in-the-earliest-moments/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [Even though we don't know squat about how the brain works, the little we do know suggests that if you wanted to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/even-though-we-don-t-know-squat-about-how-the-brain-works-the-little/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [“More research has since confirmed and extended these simple findings. In addition to satisfying relationships, other behaviors that predict happiness include:        •    a steady dose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/more-research-has-since-confirmed-and-extended-these-simple-findings/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [What you do and learn in life physically changes what your brain looks like—it literally rewires it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/what-you-do-and-learn-in-life-physically-changes-what-your-brain/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) > [Brain scientists and education scientists don't get together very often, and we end up living in our own little silos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-medina/brain-scientists-and-education-scientists-don-t-get-together-very/) [John Medina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) [Explore all 93 John Medina quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-medina/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To put it bluntly, research shows that we can’t multitask. 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