presents of mind

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presence of mind

noun phrase

Definition of presence of mind, examples of presence of mind in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'presence of mind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

circa 1624, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near presence of mind

presence chamber

presensation

Cite this Entry

“Presence of mind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presence%20of%20mind. Accessed 13 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of presence of mind.

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Presence of Mind: Why You Need It, How You Can Have It

A crucial thinking disposition that could make you smarter.

Posted June 24, 2018

In Spring 1984, Bob Woodward of The Washington Post was waiting in a hotel in Tripoli, Libya. He was promised an interview with the leader of the country, Muammar Gaddafi, but he was getting impatient . He finally decided to go to downtown Tripoli and started talking to people. He learned that, just a few days before, two university students were publicly hanged for writing anti-Gaddafi slogans on a wall. He immediately realized that this was a story much more significant than anything he would learn from Gaddafi himself, published the story , and left the country before getting into trouble. He was there to interview Gaddafi, he kept his eyes and ears open, he got out of there with a better story. He had displayed a similar presence of mind a few years earlier when he and Carl Bernstein started investigating a burglary in Washington, D.C. and ended up uncovering the Watergate affair .

Magic Johnson has the highest assists per game average in NBA history. He kept catching opponents off guard and delighting fans by finishing off a play in a completely unexpected way. Every play is subtly different for a player who pays attention to these differences. Magic Johnson was exceptional in responding to these differences and going off script to create unexpected opportunities. He displayed an unparalleled presence of mind on the basketball court.

Presence of mind is about recognizing when the usual response to a situation is not adequate. Following a course of action makes sense under a certain set of circumstances. Behavior should change when circumstances change, but that requires presence of mind.

Following routines and scripts switches off presence of mind but there are ways to break the routine. A good piece of music is full of fresh ideas and surprises but not from the point of view of the performer who has played it many times. When the freshness of these moments is lost to the performer, the playing sounds dull to the listener . Pianist Leon Fleisher recommends a clever workaround, which also helps the musician engage with the music on a deeper level. Fleisher’s recommendation is about generating alternatives to what was composed: Find a moment where the music takes an unexpected turn. Replace that part with a different musical idea, perhaps one that is more conventional. Play the music with this replacement a few times. Now the original composition will sound fresh and interesting again.

In decision making too breaking the routine might involve generating alternatives. In October 16, 1962, President Kennedy learned that the Soviets secretly installed nuclear missiles in Cuba, a country only 93 miles (150 kilometers) away from the US. After a meeting with his staff it looked like the President should select one of three options : (1) taking out the missiles only, (2) taking out the missiles and the Soviet airplanes, (3) invading Cuba. The decision was important because any military conflict between the US and the Soviet Union could escalate into a catastrophe: by 1962 each side had achieved the capability to destroy the other side in a nuclear war.

Kennedy’s handling of the crisis is considered a success not because he selected the best among these options but because he eventually crafted a better, albeit counterintuitive, option. In a crisis a strong tendency is to act now and do something quickly. Consistent with this tendency, all of the three options that Kennedy initially considered were responses to the question “What do we do now?” He ended up questioning this approach, however, and adopted a different one: announcing a naval blockade of Cuba and starting negotiations with the Soviet leader Khrushchev, essentially delaying action and giving Khrushchev room for maneuver, which paid off as Khrushchev announced six days after Kennedy’s blockade announcement that they would withdraw the missiles.

You might have met highly intelligent people who tend to make terrible decisions, which is a sign of good algorithmic skills (high IQ) but poor reflective skills . Reflective thinking initiates or structures subsequent thinking. Presence of mind is a reflective skill or a thinking disposition. If we understand and cultivate it, we can become smarter even given our existing algorithmic capabilities.

Langer, E. J., & Moldoveanu, M. (2000). The construct of mindfulness. Journal of Social Issues, 56 (1), 1-9.

Langer, E., Russel, T., & Eisenkraft, N. (2009). Orchestral performance and the footprint of mindfulness. Psychology of Music, 37 (2), 125-136.

Stanovich, K. E. (2009). Distinguishing the reflective, algorithmic and autonomous minds: Is it time for a tri-process theory? In J. St. B. T. Evans & K. Frankish (Eds.), In two minds: Dual processes and beyond (pp. 55–88). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

Ozgun Atasoy, Ph.D. , is a postdoctoral scholar at Universität Basel. He earned his doctorate at Boston University School of Management.

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Presents of mind opened on the Historic Hawthorne Blvd. in 1989 with the goal of being a one stop gift store for people who wanted something beyond the big box generic and the teddy bear cutesy. Since 1989 we have continued to pursue the latest and greatest, the classic and trendy, and all things cool. We are constantly on the prowl for new and unique items and dedicated to carrying & supporting local and independent designers, and companies that use environmentally friendly products.

Now we have this wonderful website to be able to offer a selection of our great goodies online. We have secured several local Portland designers to sell on our site making it truly unique and allowing you to get something wonderful you probably won’t find anywhere else. Please enjoy and check back for new additions, as just like our store we are always adding new finds…

Our goal is to enhance peoples lives by offering high quality, fun, affordable goods for diverse and progressive social expression while providing quality service.

Our storefront is located at:

3633 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR 97214 503-230-7740 [email protected]

General Hours: Open 10 to 7 everyday

Summer Hours: June-Sept 10-7 Sun-Thurs 10-8 Fri-Sat

Holiday Hours: Dec 1st-23rd 10-9 Mon-Sat 10-7 Sun 10-6 December 24th

You can find us via bus. Take the #14 Hawthorne Line directly to our store. We are also within walking distance of both #66-Marquam Hill/Hollywood, #75-Cesar Chavez/Lombard, and the #15 Belmont/NW 23rd.

All products are shipped through USPS

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Presents of Mind

Type: Boutique

Last updated on April 30, 2019

10Best Says

3633 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97214

503-230-7740

EXPERT TIPS BY: Meagan Wristen Portland Local Expert

Hawthorne District's Best Shopping : "If you are in need of a unique gift for any occasion this is the store for you."
Best for Hawthorne District's Best Shopping Because: Presents of Mind is the ultimate gift shop and is located on Hawthorne Blvd.

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1 Presents of Mind

Explore Portland

Presents of Mind

Hours updated over 3 months ago

Review Highlights

“ As someone who still loves to wrap presents, it was nice to see some pretty wrapping paper here. ” in 3 reviews

“ I've been coming to the store for years-always has great gift options and card selection for my last-minute tendencies to get the goods! ” in 7 reviews

“ Sometimes when I am having one of those absolutely sucky days when it would just be easier to get hit by a bus, I check out the cards at Presents of Mind and start laughing my ass off. ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

3633 SE Hawthorne Blvd

Portland, OR 97214

Hawthorne, Sunnyside, Southeast Portland

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About the Business

Business owner information

Cinnamon C.

Business Owner

The best gifts are thoughtful and rare. Since 1989, our quintessentially Portland emporium has been supplying cards, trinkets, and treasures to those searching for the perfect way to make someone's day. Our variety of goodies range from locally crafted jewelry and candles to quirky books and baby clothes. More importantly, though, we support social justice causes with allied products, inviting service, and a non-compromising standard of total inclusivity. Discover the unexpected at Presents of Mind, where there's something for everyone. …

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Recommended Reviews

1 star rating Not good
2 star rating Could’ve been better
3 star rating OK
4 star rating Good
5 star rating Great

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Overall rating

170 reviews

I wandered in here looking for a piece of plain paper. Yeah right. Instead I found total awesomeness. This place has just about every kind of fabulous girlie tchotchke one could only hope to imagine. There are exquisite paper products, jewelry, clothing, and what I can only describe as delights. They carry the very pretty and local Papaya paper line wich is always hard to find. This is my one stop shop for all future birthdays. By the time I left it was 2 hours later and my purse was $40 lighter. I would stop by just to look at all of the beautiful things.

Amazing selection from local artists! All kinds of trinkets, T-shirts, cards, bags and plenty of Unique gifts. A must stop by and explore Portland's many cultures.

I love this place. I've been frequenting this large boutique gift store for years and am always happy to see a rotating stock. They carry numerous local goods as well as great kitschy and collect able items. There is something for everyone. The staff is consistently pleasant and helpful. Their location is fantastic and surrounded by other numerous shopping and eatery options. Stop in and browse around. It's hard to leave without buying something.

I love this place for everything Portland. When I have friends that move away from this great city I always head over to Presents of Mind and find an appropriate Portland-y souvenir for that particular friend.

This store is ADORABLE. A great place to find a unique gift. Excellent selection of novelty items, craft items, baby stuff, accessories, etc. Wait for the clothes to go on sale... many of them are not constructed well enough to justify the retail prices. Friendly service too.

Dropped into this store when I was in the neighborhood. Lots of really cute things and gift ideas. Picked up a gift and card for an upcoming birthday. What separates them from the other stationary and gift stores in the area, is that their wide array of options.

Wonderful selection of unique items, but how did this store get classified as a novelty shop? What idiot redefined that phrase in order to confuse me?

I love Presents of Mind: it's a panoply of everything I love from a huge selection of cards for every occasion, handmade jewelry and artsy gifts to candles and lotions, stickers and stationery, wallets and bags, baby t-shirts with funny sayings, and very friendly people who work there. Every time I go inside, I feel more creative. And, I leave with more than I needed. ;)

I live nearby and go to this store often. Recently, however I had an experience that underscored the lack of customer service some folks have experienced. I saw a small inexpensive item in the window that resonated with me as a perfect little trinket for a friend of mine. It was an Inside joke kind of thing. But when I went inside they had run out of the item and I asked to purchase the one in the window. Was told by the salesperson that it couldn't be done. I could understand if it was a difficult thing to remove. It wasn't. What's up with that? I got the impression that the salesperson couldn't care less. In my experience, I've purchased something out of a window display many times if it is the only size or color. But here we're talking about a small insignificant novelty item. Sometimes small things are big messages.

Oct 15, 2013

Our windows are the artistic creation of a very talented artist & we try to maintain her artistic vision for the life of the window display. She spends hours creating the windows placing each item for a perfect total look. Due to this & the fact that often when we have tried to retrieve items we have inadvertently knocked over other items or otherwise disturbed the window, we made a policy of leaving the items in until the window is changed. I'm sorry the employee you spoke to did not explain our reasoning & offer you the option of being contacted at the time the window was changed so you could purchase it. I am very sorry that they gave you the impression they didn't care. I will remind the staff of the need to offer the option of purchasing after the window is taken down & showing more consideration of customers. I hope you can understand our reasoning & will continue to be a customer.

I feel bad being one of the only ones writing a bad review, but got to be honest. I lived right up the street from this place and visited it often and always got terrible, terrible service. No one would ever say hello when I walked in, or would ask if they could help me. When I would buy things, they would all talk to each other instead of me. I mean WTF? Just really annoying, snobby Portland attitude again, that I just don't understand. No doubt they have tons of amazing cute things in this shop,but it is all really over priced. They sell gamma go stuff here and I can find it online for much cheaper. With that said, I have been happy with my purchases from this shop. I wish people would just figure out what customer service is because there is no need to be a dick! I guess they do probably deal with yuppies all day, but still....

Aug 5, 2014

I am so sorry to hear this & really surprised. We pride ourselves on our customer service & are known for it. I have no explanation for your experiences, I can only say that I have shared them with the staff & reminded them what is expected of them. I hope that you will someday try the store again & that you have a better experience. Thank you for your feedback & again I'm very sorry that you have had this experience here.

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