This reading looked at the difference between simply noticing something and actually being more aware of our surroundings. We as human beings fail to notice everything around us which is a good thing. We must be selective in what we notice otherwise we would become overwhelmed by everything around us.

The reading however encourages us to take things beyond simply noticing and to become more active in trying to ‘mark’ what we see. This concept of ‘marking’ refers to attempting to remember something we have noticed so that we can come back to this idea or though later on. This takes more effort than simply noticing as we was to be able to recall the memory later. Thus, it is a “heightened form of noticing.”

At the conclusion of the reading it suggests some exercises to try and make people more aware. One of which was to describe something to a friend by simply using words and not gestures. This forces the listener to look for what is being described to them and really notice what is around them.