From Ah to Aha: The Power of Noticing

By Jean-Luc Bourdon

Insight doesn’t usually arrive like a lightning bolt. More often, it begins quietly, with something that makes us pause. That small spark is what we might call an ah moment: not just any interesting detail, but something that genuinely stands out and feels worth a second look. When we follow those sparks with curiosity, they sometimes develop into aha moments, realizations that shift our understanding.

Ah moments

An ah moment is the pause when something doesn’t quite fit our expectations. It could be a stray comment in a client conversation, a number that looks off in a spreadsheet, or a story detail that makes you tilt your head. Most of the time, these pass unnoticed. Occasionally, they have a magnetic quality, a sense that “something important might be here.”

Psychologists have long noted that the mind runs background processes to flag what stands out. Research by Daniel Kahneman and Shane Frederick shows how we often override those signals in favor of quicker, intuitive judgments. The challenge is to catch ourselves and notice what the brain is quietly pointing to.

Aha moments

Aha moments, those sudden insights that reframe how we see a situation, often follow periods of unconscious processing. Neuroscientists John Kounios and Mark Beeman have shown that insight typically builds on earlier observations, especially details that first drew attention. In other words, aha moments rarely appear from nowhere; they often grow out of earlier ah moments.

Not every ah moment becomes an aha. The key is judgment about which details to explore and which to leave aside.

The practice of “double-clicking”

Judith E. Glaser, an organizational anthropologist, used the phrase “double-clicking” to describe pausing to ask about something that seems significant. Just as you double-click a file to open it, in conversation you can double-click a detail to find out more.

A story from radio journalism illustrates this well. In an interview about rescuing birds after an oil spill, a responder named Berkner explained the cleaning process:

“It’s a series of baths in hot water. It’s a solution of Dawn dishwashing liquid.”

That line was an ah moment, unexpected and intriguing. Rather than moving on, the interviewer paused and echoed back:

“Dawn dishwashing liquid?”

That simple follow-up opened space for explanation. Listeners learned that rescuers had tested many soaps and found Dawn the most effective. What could have been a throwaway comment became a memorable part of the story.

When we miss the ah moments

Sometimes anomalies slip past altogether. In the famous “invisible gorilla” experiment by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, viewers focused on counting basketball passes often failed to see a person in a gorilla suit walk through the scene. This inattentional blindness highlights how easily the mind flattens unexpected details when focus is elsewhere.

In professional settings, the same thing can happen. An offhand remark in a discovery meeting or a subtle shift in tone might be the “gorilla” we never notice.

What helps us notice

Several conditions make it more likely we’ll catch ah moments instead of glossing over them:

• Mindfulness and presence. Studies show that people higher in mindfulness are less prone to inattentional blindness. Being present makes it easier to notice what doesn’t fit.
• Curiosity. Approaching anomalies as invitations rather than distractions encourages inquiry.
• Tolerance for ambiguity. Being willing to sit with uncertainty prevents premature rationalization.
• Psychological safety. Amy Edmondson’s research shows people are more likely to voice observations when they feel safe to ask questions.
• Reflection. Journaling or debriefing can bring back details that felt odd in the moment but were not explored.
• Domain knowledge. Experts notice anomalies more readily because they have a stronger sense of what “normal” looks like.

The judgment call

Not every detail is worth chasing. Researchers describe “attention residue,” the performance cost of switching focus too often. Strategic noticing involves distinguishing between curiosities that are just noise and those that carry intuitive weight. True ah moments often feel compelling before we know why.

Why this matters

In coaching, leadership, and client work, important issues often first surface in small ways: a comment that seems off, a number that doesn’t add up, a pause in the conversation. The human brain tends to flatten these anomalies for the sake of coherence. When we double-click instead of smoothing over, we give ourselves and others the chance to reach deeper understanding.

Closing thought

Ah moments may not look like much on their own. But when we notice them, resist the urge to gloss over, and follow them with a question, they can sometimes grow into aha moments, the insights that help us reveal hidden dimensions, and open new avenues for understanding.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of any firm or organization. This content is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as personalized financial, tax, accounting, or investment advice. Although the author is a CPA and holds the PFS credential, no professional services are being offered through this article. Readers should consult their own qualified advisors before making decisions based on this information. The content may include information from sources believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed and may be subject to change without notice.

Copyright: © 2025 Jean-Luc Bourdon, Original text, structure, organization, and editorial revisions created by the human author. The author used AI as a drafting tool, but exercised creative control by rewriting, restructuring, and contributing original analysis, tone, and expression. Disclosure in accordance with U.S. Copyright Office guidance on AI-assisted works.