The Zeigarnik Effect and Quest Logs
Why we're obsessed with incomplete quests
The Zeigarnik effect explains why your mind runs in circles trying to remember the name of that actor in that show even when it doesn’t matter at all. It explains why it’s so hard to focus on other things when you’re waiting to hear back after a job interview, a school application submission, a medical test, or a text after a fun first date. Your mind keeps ruminating even though there’s nothing to figure out. The uncertainty is a mental bandwidth tax.