Spam subject lines

I have to admit that the designers of spam subject lines are quite clever. Sure, I can ignore the ones that say "big dick ssssyujm" and "URGENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY". But often, when I scan over them in my Inbox, I do notice that-- just for a split second-- my attention is caught by the subject.

It might be "Quick question" or "Hey there"-- subject lines I use myself on occasion. Or "Order information #221". I have an outstanding online order at many times, so I have to flick my eyes over to the sender to see if it's actually from the company.

And then there are ones that aim at the emotions. "Call the doctor," for instance (before I realize that no one sends email asking someone else to call the doctor). Or "I tried calling but couldn't get through." Or "This can help with the pain."

And there are practical ones too, like "Need to cancel for Sunday" or "Your appointment is on Tuesday." Again, there is a momentary movement of the mind.

The writers of these things really know something about psychology. Even though I can logically stop myself from paying any heed to the spam, my mind lurches every time. And that makes spam deletion an actual activity, a mental energy drain because my attention is constantly leaping at things and getting pulling back, like handling a hyperactive dog on a leash.