Stop what you’re doing for a second and listen to whatever sounds are in your immediate environment. Are there people chattering? Is there a fan humming? Maybe an air conditioner? Unless you’re sitting in absolute silence, you’re probably now aware of these sounds that weren’t apparent just a moment ago. In doing this exercise, you’ve just observed a psychological phenomenon called habituation, which is your brain’s ability to tune out background noises like the humming of a fan, a refrigerator, or birds chirping outside while you focus on a more pertinent task. You no doubt are aware about...