How can I improve my concentration?

How can I improve my concentration and understanding in conversation with others?

• I am kind of stupid and late in understanding. I lose concentration even in normal talk with people after ten minutes and forget most of the time.

• Answer:

  You are not stupid. I think the issue is that whenever people are talking with you, they say things that do not interest you. If you would like to have meaningful conversations with people that you care about and want to maintain friendships with, then you could try to become interested in the subjects/topics that they enjoy discussing. If, however, those people are not close to you or are simply acquaintances that you don't truly want to always hang out with, then it is okay to not tune in to what they are saying. For me, for example, I lose interest easily when people around me are talking about real estate and world history. I choose not to tune in and just let them talk. However, I perk up whenever people start talking about topics that I am truly passionate about. So, once again, the first thing to do is realize that there is nothing wrong with you. If people aren't interesting, it is okay for you to not tune in. If you wish to be a bigger part of the discussion, then you would need to contribute by talking about things you enjoy. Be a leader in these discussions. If they also share the same interests with you, then will focus on what you are saying and it will be a meaningful discussion. If you still truly want to maintain concentration on what they are saying - even though you have no or little interest in those subjects - then I would say you can focus harder. Put away your cell phone, don't let your eyes wander around, but instead maintain eye contact with the person who is talking. It might help you to focus better if you don't let other things around you distract you (ie. if you are in a loud and busy coffee shop, don't look around but instead have eye contact with the speaker). You'll find, however, that most of the time what people talk about are really trivial, really unimportant things. At least that's what I find.