Human Development

The University of Navarra (Madrid, Spain), with co-organizer Boston College, is gathering artists, scholars, psychotherapists, and practitioners from around the world for the 2027 Art & Character Conference (June 3–5, 2027).

“Spotlight attention vs. lantern attention.” I first encountered this distinction in the work of the U.S. psychologist Allison Gopnick.

Spotlight attention means bringing full focus to a specific task. We develop this capacity over time, and we must!—it’s hard to succeed in life without the ability to focus well. Schooling is dedicated to developing this capacity: all those hours sitting at a desk and “paying attention” to information that rarely feels relevant; all those tests to measure spotlight skills.