How many injuries occur because people were "just not thinking?" How often do we get into a work routine involving a sequence of behaviors that we perform unconsciously? We take our mind off the process and put ourselves on automatic pilot.
People sometimes move through daily regimes with little thought, alertness or creativity. The more mundane and commonplace the activity, the more likely a person will use an unconscious script to guide behavior-with an accompanying lack of awareness. Social psychologists warn that this mindless activity leaves us vulnerable to sales pitches, authoritative directives and injuries.