By appreciating I mean taking the time to take something in more thoroughly than skimming, while also not letting oneself lose track of what’s happening around them.
If I understood you correctly that’s nothing you can learn. It just happens for most people when they see something they like or admire. I myself have trouble with stuff like that, but that’s because I have a soft form of autism and an anxiety disorder so keeping track and not losing myself completely in a situation is mandatory for not going insane.
Mm, I should clarify. I’m not really after advice so much as reading about how others go about the two to get a sense of where others may be coming from and only incidentally some stuff that I might try.
I tend to skim if I’m reading to distract myself from other things. It’s easier to focus/absorb the material when I actually care about it (and not just reading it to avoid something else)
Prioritize what’s important. You don’t have time to take in every little thing, but you can still go deep on the stuff that has a bigger impact. How to decide? I don’t know.
Zen training. Long hours of meditation have allowed me to absorb myself in simple pleasures without losing track of my surroundings.
Well, I should say a childhood of abuse gave me the gift of eternal vigilance, and zen training allowed me to slow down and enjoy things on top of that.