This is so messed up - and yet so interesting as a direct result of that.

I've only ever considered the idea of "looking busy" in the sense of whether or not someone is trying to optimize for shirking actual mental engagement.

I never thought of how doing that can actually make room to think. But that's so logically obvious once you mush the two ideas together!

I say this is messed up because I can totally see this being both necessary and helpful in certain situations. Wow.