The classic challenge is to tell someone to try and not think of an elephant. Once you name a forbidden thought, there’s no stopping it. Distraction might work, but only until you remember what you were distracting yourself from. It becomes an endless cycle, and possibly a debilitating obsession. At least we know now why cat videos are so popular! You may as well get up and do something useful until you can no longer stay awake. May I suggest a ten-mile hike? This illustration of the tortuous cycle is from Chris Hallbeck at Maximumble. -via Geeks Are Sexy