Are You An Interrupter? OR Overlapper?

Are You An Interrupter?  OR Overlapper?

Are You An Interrupter?  OR Overlapper? OR either one from time to time?  So, HOW is it in conversations, do you have that tendency to jump in before the other person is done speaking?  If so, you might be one we'll call as INTERRUPTER, OR in the most diplomatic way, you may be WHAT linguists call as 'COOPERATIVE OVERLAPPER'.  Unfortunately, either way does NOT absolve us for some very minor wrongdoing because like INTERRUPTING, COOPERATIVE OVERLAPPING can be perceived as rude OR dismissive in certain settings or even amongst people📗📙📘

To reference recent researches, COOPERATIVE OVERLAPPING occurs WHEN the listener starts talking along with the speaker, NOT to cut them off BUT rather to validate OR show they're engaged in WHAT the other person is talking about.  This is WHERE a gray area creeps in because when COOPERATIVE OVERLAPPING happens, somehow it encourages the speaker to keep going💥💥💥

Sometimes the cultural aspect creeps in as well just as a recent viral TikTok of a Jewish person WHO defended herself that to interject before the other person is done speaking is actually part of the Jewish style of conversation.  Luckily to most of us, in good conversations, there AREN'T any pauses BUT if there is one, that may be because someone DOESN'T want to be speaking anymore UNLESS they're visibly thinking OR chewing OR something.  BUT to many others, that is NOT the case though😌😌😌

Good enough, for people WHO share the same conversational style, COOPERATIVE OVERLAPPING often has the positive effect of 'greasing rather than gumming up conversations'.  BUT here's the catch.  Amongst those WHO DON'T have such similar conversational styles, it tends to have the opposite effect.  it can fluster the speaker, disrupt the flow of the conversation and may even be viewed as a sign of disrespect❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  There was this reawakening WHEN we got caught with that Covid-19 Pandemic.  Suddenly, Zoom meetings became the norm, the default.  And frankly, many of us were NOT calibrated enough as to HOW to get engaged in those Zoom calls.  BUT that was an outlier because everyday in our life, we got to be consciously aware of the other person's conversational style, lest we end up offending or even ruffling feathers that were seemingly unnecessary.  So, dude, ARE YOU AN INTERRUPTER?  OR OVERLAPPER???

Are You PRODUCTIVE Enough? Or Simply BUSY!@#$%?

NOT too long ago, leisure was seen and perceived to be prestigious enough.  Going out for your tennis, badminton OR zumba schedules after work meant you just ended a long day at work.  Today, that perception has been turned on its head and BUSYNESS has even become as the new status symbol.  With mixed feelings, BUSY people are considered important and impressive and many of us tend to be rewarded BUT Are You PRODUCTIVE Enough?  Or Simply BUSY!@#$%?

There's that anecdote of a new immigrant in the U.S. WHO was busy grappling to learn English fast enough.  So, WHEN he often heard people to be BUSY, he thought BUSY meant GOOD, so he was impressed that there were many GOOD people in America.  Researches were also made and by all counts, nearly eight out of 10 would reply that they were BUSY.  Those researches further bolstered the fact that these times around, our days are becoming increasingly jampacked, literally and figuratively speaking.  And shockingly, researchers often heard "NEVER HAD ENOUGH TIME' for close to 90% as recent as this year.  NOT to blame technology but BUSYNESS has even been likened to the multitasking of a Bluetooth device who seems to be in that multi-tasking cycle no end💧💧💧

Shockingly, recent studies in the United States, France and South Korea showed that people WHO exerted 'high effort' were considered 'MORALLY ADMIRABLE' regardless of their output, whew.  Alas, in the business world, BUSYNESS is NOT a virtue anymore and it is long past time that organizations have stopped lionizing it.  Evaluating employees on HOW busy they are is a terrible way to identify the most creative and productive talent💥💥💥

Ironically, studies showed that WHEN some organizations [fortunately, our company is NOT one of them] tend to overload employees and base their incentives primarily on the amount of time they work, and excessively monitor their activities, productivity and even efficiency really dropped. Exhaustion among employees can even contribute to attrition, so in the end, this misplaced metrics will backfire to the organization❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  Another insightful research did hit me hard WHEN I remember one of their statements that 'SCARCITY, WHY HAVING TOO LITTLE MEANS SO MUCH' and the analogy is with a person whose car has problems and the repairs mean he has to fork out $1,500 [BUT alas, he does not even food on the table, so to speak].  So, WHAT happens next is that he ends up with decisions that are dumber than ever and this analogy carries over to the person constrained with TIME.  The lesson learnt here is that WHEN we have too little of something that is important to us, we tend to become a little dumber, and even less disciplined and we end up with poor choices.  This helps explain, among many other things as to WHY poor people end up with 'greedy loan sharks'  WHEN they should know for a fact that they just end up deeper in that hole.  Final question dude.  ARE YOU PRODUCTIVE ENOUGH?  OR SIMPLY BUSY???

Should Temptations Be Avoided Rather Than Resisted?

For the longest time, our parents, teachers and mentors kept teaching us to RESIST TEMPTATIONS, right?  And to give credit WHERE credit is due, most of us did 'toe the line',  BUT alas, that was the old school of thought.  Fast forward to today, Should Temptations Be Avoided Rather Than Resisted?  I remember sharing this personal info to some of my friends that WHEN 2024 clocked-in, I started a daily early morning walking habit.  My goal ISN'T to be in tip-top shape BUT at least, to be responsible enough with my health and wellness.  And I'm confident that the benefits [from the sun and air] of exercise will do wonders for me and will likely compound over time📗📘📙

Frankly, it can take anywhere between a few weeks to several months to form a new habit [depending on the habit though].  To borrow a technical jargon from scientists, they call this 'self-directed neuroplasticity' because we're intentionally creating a new set of cues, actions, and even rewards for ourselves.  And psychologists claim that WHO can effectively build and break HABITS usually have higher levels of baseline self-control.   The interesting part is HOW these 'SELF-CONTROLLERS' deal with temptations💦💦💦

Along these lines, I came across this quotable quote:  PEOPLE WITH HIGH-LEVEL OF SELF-CONTROL ARE GOOD AT AVOIDING TEMPTATION [AND NOT RESISTING IT].  On the other hand, there are studies which point that people with the highest levels of self-control are actually more likely to be tempted by everything they're trying to resist.  So, perhaps without realizing WHY, they intentionally set up their lives in such a way that they'll avoid things that tempt them❎❎❎

Before I get suspected as a hypocrite, I'll be the first to admit that it's HARD to resist temptations.  Picture the gap between wanting something and having it.  We can imagine a rubber band stretched between you and another thing you want, pulling on you, drawing you toward that thing.  Thing is, we have a HARD time staying in that tension and resisting the pull.  So, we do things [like eating, buying, speaking to release the tension😖😖😖

Our takeaway:  This got me thinking.  Maybe getting the object of our desire ISN'T WHAT we really desire.  Maybe it's the desire itself WHICH we desire.  In other words, maybe it's more pleasurable to want things than to have them.  Think about a good movie you recently watched.  I bet the first few minutes introduced a problem and the rest of the movie was devoted to the tension of a protagonist WHO wants something, then he/she does NOT get it.  So, those good movies follow that formula to keep an audience engaged once the tension dissipates.  So, SHOULD TEMPTATIONS BE AVOIDED RATHER THAN RESISTED?  Absolutely dude, if you can!!!

 

Forcing A Task Upon Yourself

Forcing A Task Upon Yourself

The old school of thought always taught us that forcing yourself to do a TASK that you're procrastinating on doing ISN'T an enduring solution.  It is even argued that forcing yourself ignores the underlying FEAR of FAILURE, which then needs to be addressed if procrastination is to be endured, if at all.  So, should we still be Forcing A Task Upon Yourself📘📙📗

As studies showed, procrastinators usually will choose one marshmallow now rather than two later.  So, experts claim that key is to build the frustration tolerance of procrastinators.  Just for today, I wasn't in the mood to write our thread for today.  So, I procrastinated for a few hours, ending up doing less and instead, I grabbed on those 'pleasant' tasks.  I was finally able to get myself started by asking myself, WHAT do I need to do to get things done?  And then, I tasked myself to save the word document ASAP.  Then, I tasked myself to identify WHAT's the next sentence. At that point , I was hooked in writing our piece for today💦💦💦

Now, the other point at WHICH people tend to be procrastinating is WHEN reaching the 'HARD PART'.  Sounds familiar?  Oh Oh, I've been there, done that quite a few times in the past.  BUT if you ask me, WHAT happened next?  NADA, NICHTS, NOTHING.  Generally, UNLESS you've made progress in a minute, you're UNLIKELY to.  And you're most likely to NOT only give up on that task BUT you will even end up creating ab unpleasant memory of doing such tasks that it increases the tendency to procrastinate💧💧💧

Swinging back to myself, the HARDEST part when writing is to crystallize your thoughts and translate it into compressed statements WHICH later I'll craft into structured sentences.  YES, I'll admit that I do struggle along the way NOT because of compromised focus, NOT because of less drive BUT simply because I failed to hurdle the 'HARD' part.  Ultimately, I did progress after I kept thinking and trying out wordings.  Ultimately, procrastination is most likely to be cured by a factor that is not so obvious on the surface, and that's a person's unflinching deep sense of responsibility and that consistency to commit oneself to be even uncomfortable for the larger long-term benefit❌❌❌

Our takeaway:  People often think , WHEN they're tired OR DON'T feel performing a task, they believe their choices are either, #1 to force oneself to do the task anyway OR #2 let yourself 'off the hook'.  And WHILE there is nothing wrong with either of these choices, those are NOT the only choices at hand.  So, WHAT else can we do?  You can opt to take care of yourself and then COME BACK to the task WHEN you're ready for it.  OR, find a reason to do the task that inspires you to do it, even if you're tired, for example, if you knew that doing a task would save a million lives, you WON'T say that you're tired, right?  OR opt to find a creative approach that has you bringing play to the task WHILE also respective your fatigue for that ask.  So, dude, it's NOT FORCING A TASK UPON YOURSELF but EMBRACING it instead😊😊😊

HOPE Don't Get The Job Done

I was watching the old Netflix movie clip [ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQUIRE] when Denzel Washington, blurted out 'HOPE Don't Get The Job Done' and that one-liner did grab me by my lapels.  And his protagonist retorted, 'IS THAT DELUSION' while his colleague in the law firm commended their senior partner for being GREAT IN THE SEAT, GREAT ON HIS FEET'.  Then,  Denzel fights back to the new lawyer and tells him, "YOU'RE A LOW-FLYING BEE".  This movie clip did reawaken me to legitimate issues that continue to pervade even in the supposed bulwarks of democracy like the U.S. judicial system📗📙📘

Ironically, it is the PLEA BARGAINING practice in many courts globally that was at the very core of Denzel Washington's Netflix movie.  So, how relevant is this movie clip to our daily lives?  So relevant, dude.  Because what this tells us, much as we have our career aspirations even when we are still in school, upon achieving our career aspirations, THE END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS💥💥💥

As a personal sharing, at a very raw age when I was just in my elementary schooling, I would hear many times from my grandma that 'LAWYERS WILL GO TO HELL WHEN THEY DIE'.  At that raw age, that DIDN'T make sense to me.  Eventually when I graduated from university, I doggedly pursued for admission in one of my country's premier law schools.  And alas, I got admitted BUT as I was in the crossroads of job offers and the law school, I made a tough decision to shelve my law studies in favor of the tempting juicy offers I was getting❗❗❗

BUT again the path towards success is often strewn with setbacks and rejections, leaving even the most determined upstarts disheartened.  With all humility, I had enough reservoir of motivation from within me BUT I'll be the first to admit that it was NOT uncommon to hit frustration and doubt all rolled into one, particularly WHEN we are faced with a seemingly endless stream of rejections❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  Let us understand that failures and REJECTION are inherent parts of that process in life and it behooves that we understand that it's NOT a reflection of one's worth OR capabilities.  It's normal to feel discouraged by REJECTION BUT every setback provides an opportunity for our personal growth.  YES dude, HOPE [itself] DON'T GET THE JOB DONE❌❌❌

Still Anticipating Outcomes?

As the old school has taught us, there is always an answer to all the problems and difficulties that we do struggle with BUT because the answer is so obvious, we very rarely see it.  WHAT happens WHEN we DON'T see it is that we get locked into thinking about the problem we face, sometimes over and over again.  We then end up anticipating.  Really, Still Anticipating Outcomes?  That's the thing, we end up stuck in that vulnerable process and we end up in doing things WHICH DON'T actually help as such but instead, it just seems to produce more uncertainty, doubt and indecision📗📙📘

Even during those times WHEN we seem to be convinced that we know WHAT is going to happen next, we still DON'T let it go, instead we keep at it and at it like a dog with a particularly juicy bone.  Then, our 'mental jaws' just keep working away at the problem even WHEN we know we CAN'T fix it❌❌❌

if only we can break it and put to a halt our process of thinking about HOW bad a problem is, it DOESN'T actually help us at all.  Psychologists claim instead that the more they did re-run that scenario, the more terrible they felt.  And the more they did play with all the possibilities, desperately trying to 'find our way out', the more LOCKED IN and caught up we become.  Thinking about the problem becomes part of the problem, in fact.  We could even say that it becomes the 'biggest part of the problem' itself.  So, WHEN the problem is our own selves trying vainly to fix our problem, that problem becomes us ourselves in trying to anticipate WHAT happens next and driving ourselves totally cracked as we do so.  So, WHAT's the not-so-secret answer?  It is NOT and NEVER TO ANTICIPATE THE OUTCOME at all💥💥💥

Experts tell us that ANTICIPATING OUTCOMES is the fault, the glitch in the process that unfailingly ruins everything.  So, HOW do we ANTICIPATE OUTCOMES?  Now, if I say that I am NOT going to anticipate the OUTCOME, then it's likely that I already ANTICIPATED THE OUTCOME.   In the end, we could feel trapped in a closed loop of 'ANTICIPATING THAT WE WILL NOT ANTICIPATE' and that whole loop ends up as nothing else but another round of ANTICIPATION.  On the other hand, the other school of thought is that ANTICIPATION gets associated with a sense of well-being and even mental health benefits.  And that the pleasurable release of DOPAMINE in the brain happens WHEN we expect good OUTCOMES in the future💦💦💦

Our takeaway:  WHETHER you end up with POSITIVE or NEGATIVE ANTICIPATION, fact is our mind is wired for ANTICIPATION and better still, we evolve to have an enhanced capacity to form accurate expectations about the future so we could make better predictions instead of ending up with NEGATIVE ANTICIPATIONS❎❎❎

Practicing Gratitude

Earlier today, I dropped by the Shakey's restaurant near our neighborhood and I interacted with an on-duty supervisor WHO seems new to me [at least for that branch].  After giving her a spate of details regarding my inquiries and need for help, she DIDN'T waste time to attend to all my requests as she asked me to be seated.  Before I walked off, I asked for her full name and for transparency sake, I confided to her that I will be sending a customer feedback to their company and I'd like to commend her.  That was one small, minor and petty way of Practicing Gratitude📗📙📘

Zillion times in the past and till to date, YES, I would admit that I do 'walk the talk', pitching and 'preaching' tirelessly the need for us to be PRACTICING GRATITUDE.  WHY?  For a zillion reasons and topping that mile-long list is that it cost ALMOST NOTHING to commend OR appreciate the good deeds of someone.  YES, PRACTICING GRATITUDE can be a 'game changer'.  It can have the far-reaching benefits and effects, from improving our own mental health to boosting our relationships with others.  I remember WHEN I was at the far-flung pineapple farms of Dole Food and our HP server got hit with a hardware problem and the only solution was to have a replacement part sourced out from Manila [which was a good 2 hours by air travel]!!!

WHAT did I do next?  I chartered a private plane and flew the HP engineer all the way down.  After our problem got fixed, come next day, I emailed a commendation to the HP country manager.  Months later, that HP engineer called me to thank me because he was promoted 2 levels up in the HP hierarchy.  YES, living your life with GRATITUDE does help us to notice those LITTLE WINS, like the bus showing up right on time, a stranger holding the door for you [especially if you literally got your hands full], OR the sun shining through your window WHEN you wake up next morning.  Let's think about of these SMALL MOMENTS and let us string them together to create a web of well-being that, over time, strengthens our ability to notice the good✅✅✅

As I am NOT an expert, allow me to refer to the experts' advice that 'BUILDING YOUR CAPACITY FOR GRATITUDE ISN'T DIFFICULT'.  And I CAN'T agree less because as I have done it through the years, it just takes PRACTICE.  And before you know it, you have developed that habit-forming GRATITUDE PRACTICE.  And the more you can bring your attention to that which you feel grateful, the more you'll notice to feel grateful for.  SO HOW?  Start by OBSERVING.  Notice the THANK YOUs you say and note how much of a habitual response is it💚💛💜

Our takeaway:  From a personal perspective, I'll share HOW I feel when PRACTICING GRATITUDE.  Firstly, I intentionally affirm the 'GOOD THINGS' or 'GOOD DEEDS' I experienced OR received.  And secondly, I acknowledge the role of the person[s] WHO were instrumental for me to experience such GOODNESS.  As an afterthought, minutes and hours and even days and months after, I feel good for PRACTISING GRATITUDE and that meant a lot for my mental health as well.  It's a low-hanging fruit for us to reap, dude WHEN we PRACTICE GRATITUDE😃😃😃

That DISTRACTION Breakthrough?

That DISTRACTION Breakthrough?

YES dude, DISTRACTIONS are everywhere BUT WHAT befuddles me is That DISTRACTION Breakthrough even as many of us remain steadfast to counter OR even resist it, to no avail [most of the time].  And this vicious cycle starts WHEN you are seated in front your laptop with all those pre-loaded apps all over your desktop.  UNLESS you get rid of those unnecessary apps and ever-present icons, let's agree HOW the tech companies have been successful to to draw our attention away from WHATEVER we're doing📗📙📘

WHAT does these all tell us?  The underlying principle remains and applies, WHICH is, the best way to help ourselves FOCUS is to 'CONTROL' our environment.  Wrongly, we tend to think of our workspace as simply a 'WORK LOCATION', period.  BUT frankly, that computer screen is an environment itself we do choose to enter, consciously OR unconsciously.  Thing is, there are a few things we can do proactively to make it a more FOCUSED zone for deep work, like even turning on 'DO NOT DISTURB' and cutting down on open tabs.  This reminds me of a colleague WHO, many times, 'shocked' me because she had one too many tabs open, whew!@#$?

Many researches even tell us that our 'wandering mind' is most often the hidden source of DISTRACTION. So, the problem at hand now is HOW can we remain in the PRESENT and be ENGAGED!  We tend to think that we are DISTRACTED because of the devices in our pocket, Instagram, Facebook, text messages, and the thousands of other notifications beckoning for our attention💥💥💥

But culling from a recent Harvard research, the very culprit [let's tag it as our very PROBLEM] ISN'T the environment, NOT even pointing to its chaos BUT [hold your breath!], it's our MINDS!  They found that the HUMAN MIND is actually wired for this state of continuous DISTRACTION.  Their study concluded that we spend 47 percent of every 'waking hour' with a 'WANDERING MIND'❎❎❎

Our takeaway:  WHETHER you are waiting at the airport departure gate waiting to board your flight BUT your mind keeps fantasizing about that dream position you're angling OR while onboard the Uber rental car, you're thinking about the recent emails from your boss you forgot to respond to.  We all know that state and it turns out to be the default mode of operation of our brain.  NO quick fix for this BUT once you notice your mind starts to 'WANDER', pull the brakes and if need be, 'shut off' your engine and RESET because that could be your DISTRACTION BREAKTHROUGH!!!

It's The Journey That Matters. HAVE FUN!

We all lead frenzied lives [and I'm very much one of the uber-guilty parties on that note] and most of the time, it seems it's NOT our fault at all.  I'm NOT washing off my hands from my guilt.  Having said this, the stark truth is from the time we were molded in school till we left the portals of our university, we were always taught and trained to set our goals in life and be goal-focused.  '   It's The Journey That Matters.  HAVE FUN!!! 

So, indeed we are forgetting to HAVE FUN in life!  At times, there are outliers like WHEN something tragic and traumatic happened in one's life, such that the NEGATIVE experience has caused that filtering.  True, some of us are so overwhelmed with commitments and obligations that they DON'T even recognize FUN even WHEN they are in front of it.  HOW often do we realize that a shared laugh, story OR experience, even with a stranger at that, improves the moods of everyone and  psychologists claim that holding on to the FUN memories can even make other painful experiences more bearable [if NOT less painful].  Of course, a zillion times we heard 'HAVE FUN' to a friend, family neighbor OR even a neighbor going off for a weekend😁😁😁

BUT let's face it, not everything is worth the 'HAVE FUN' expression because WHAT IF your friend is going to the dentist?  BUT we're missing a key point here.  Psychologists shared that in their studies, even activities like going for a haircut, looking for plants to add up in your own home garden, OR even activities you had to forgo a year ago.  Doing a lookup, dictionary tells us that FUN sets a relatively low bar for having FUN.  Like a bus tour of an unfamiliar city.  OR learning HOW to make bread in a cooking class as a novice is FUN and there's a mile-long list of stuff where we can get engaged and relive that FUN we used to have.  On the contrary, let's face it, there are activities we must do despite NOT having FUN, like waiting to renew your driver's license, listening to a long-winded speech in an event you DIDN'T feel attending BUT you succumbed to pressure.  Oh yes, the list of UNFUN situations seems to grow everyday❎❎❎

BUT here's the key question.  Do we pay attention to situations that provide amusement and enjoyment?  OR in response to our over-committed lives, those we are NOT even noticing WHEN something could be giving us pleasure?  YES, let's face it, there some of us WHO are unable to take pleasure in situations OR relationships that fit the definition of FUN.  Psychologists have termed ANHEDONIA as that manifestation of people having such inability to recognize and even enjoy FUN.  For people WHO feel incapable of even attempting to find pleasure, NOTHING brings them FUN and often, they would withdraw from social interactions OR activities because they feel it is pointless.  Yes, the experts linked ANHEDONIA to depression, anxiety and even post-traumatic stress disorder.  BUT to quote the experts, 'THAT INABILITY TO BE IMPERVIOUS TO EXPERIENCING PLEASURE CAN BE REVERSED WITH THE TREATMENT OF THESE DISORDERS'💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  At this point, we need to realize that in life, purposely, we even organize events and encounters with others in the hope and anticipation that it will bring us FUN.  And unless something unexpected happens, we get enjoyment in such activities.  BUT the reality in life is that it is in the UNPLANNED events and encounters in life that often giving us the most joy.  Like a few years ago, I was walking alone in the bustling business district and suddenly, a guy walking opposite my direction suddenly hugged me and screaming my name at the same time.  Oh Oh, he was my classmate from yesteryears.  That was FUN no less.  Yes dude, it's THE JOURNEY THAT MATTERS.  HAVE FUN!!! 

When Pictures Are Made With AI

When Pictures Are Made With AI 

These days, you can never tell WHAT happens next.  You keep browsing and scrolling till you stumble across a picture that smittens you and WHAT happens next, only God knows once you get enamored.  BUT before you fall into it,  WHAT IF a picture is made with AI?  On the surface, there's nothing wrong when AI is used to craft pictures BUT once a vulnerable human falls for it, we can look forward to the next plot of the script📗📙📘

Again, NOT to inject NEGATIVITIES in pictures because they are offshoots of the work of art, there is still a need to figure it out if the picture is made with AI so that one's level of appreciation will be at the correct perspective.  You might ask me, WHY do we bothered if a picture is made with AI?  We need to note that AI art ISN'T just a concept anymore.  It is everywhere and you've likely encountered it in the wild, WHETHER you knew it OR NOT.  As the technology for generating images continue to improve, it's more important than ever to learn HOW TO SPOT these AI-generated images.  WHY???

WHY?  So we DON'T get fooled by someone else faking photos.  So you are aware if you might breach a photo that is proprietary-owned if it's a watermarked AI-generated image [although till to date, technology companies are still working on it].  And currently, most AI art online is circulating without a clear label warning users that images are NOT real.  And in lieu of that, it is to our own interest that we can spot those FAKE images, if any, WHENEVER they might pop up in your feed💦💦💦

It may seem easy to take a look at a piece of AI art and assume the generator that produced it simply 'stitched' the piece together from a bunch of images in its database BUT in most cases, techies advise us that, that is NOT the case though.  And while AI art generators are trained on huge datasets of images, from arts to photographs, their tools CAN'T see those images the way we humans do💥💥💥

Our takeaway:  Let's be incisive enough that regardless of the advances in technology, even AI tools break these images down to pixel by pixel.  It WON'T see an apple.  Instead, it will see a group of pixels and their values.  Overtime, it will learn that this grouping of these particular pixel values tends to be an apple.  Lastly, before you fall prey for the FAKED images, hold on and resist your emotions from spilling out because you might end up on the wrong side of things, be it ending up hating a hated character OR getting smitten head over heels over an image straight out of AI.  Happy browsing!!!