What’s a Word You Recently Heard That You Now See Everywhere?
Do you have a recently-learned word that is haunting your life? Apparently there's a name for that.
Slurry. Slurrrrrrry. The very sound of that word makes me cringe. I've been seeing and hearing this word countless times over the last week. What's funny is that I had never heard of this word before I accepted that meal kit from my friend and now I can't escape it. I thought the recipe had made this up. Like it was in inside joke for those customers who subscribe to this service. A cruel joke on those who buy our own ingredients from the store.
Nope, it's real.
A slurry, by definition, is a watery mixture of an insoluble matter. In my case, it was a water and corn starch mixture used to thicken a glaze. Since reading that word, I have seen it everywhere. Maybe it had always been there and I just never noticed (I do watch a lot of Food Network, after all) or maybe this word is destined to consume my life. I've heard it on television, seen it on social media and even when I Googled how to make a mocha at home... just use a slurry of water and cocoa powder.
Has this happened to you?
It's apparently called the Baader-Meinhoff phenomenon, according to science. Also known as "frequency illusion" or "recency illusion", this phenomenon gives you the feeling that something you were just introduced to is now surrounding you. Whether it's been there all along or not, this item/word/experience is now fresh on your radar.
What happens in your brain when you experience this phenomenon? Well for starters, your brain is excited to have learned something new and is essentially experiencing a high. With this comes selective attention and your mind actually focuses on finding that new thing again and again subconsciously. Once your brain finds it, there's a confirmation bias that ignites. Almost like your brain is celebrating it's discovery by saying "Yep, there it is again!"
Have you ever experienced this? Was it a word or phrase? Or was it an experience or object? Feel free to share with us below or on social media. I want to know I'm not alone in this slurry feeling.