Writing typos and even submitting them after proofreading doesn't mean that you are stupid. Writing is conveying meaning, which is a very high level task and very smart.

The psychology of typos and how to spot them

With all high level tasks, our brain tries to save up capacity for more complex tasks by simplifying the less complex ones. Thus, it treats letters as words and words as sentences to focus on, for example, turning sentences into complex ideas. The words and sentences get turned into building blocks.

How Our Brain Processes Text

Because we know the meaning our text is meant to convey, we don't pay such close attention to it. If you knew the scheme of the movie you're watching in advance, would you watch it with great attention? Chances are you wouldn't and that's how our brain thinks when proofreading our own text.

Why We Don't Spot Our Typos

<ul><li>Get someone else to proofread it for you. Someone who didn't write it and reads it for the first time pays closer attention to the text</li><li>Change the appearance of the text; trick your brain into thinking it's a new piece of writing by changing the font or background of it or maybe reading it printed on paper</li></ul>

How To Spot Your Typos

I find it fascinating how our brain works and as a writer myself, these tips are valuable. 

The reason typos get through isn't because we're stupid or careless, it's because what we're doing is actually very smart.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

writing

Reading & Writing

problemsolving

Problem Solving

communication

Communication

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

What's Up With That: Why It's So Hard to Catch Your Own Typos

You can be motivated to do something intrinsically (it gives you satisfaction and enjoyment) or extrinsically (you are given a reward, such as money or recognition). Most people know that intrinsic rewards are the sweeter of the two. That’s basically what those saying “Find a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life” mean. Relying on external rewards lowers satisfaction. <ul><li>You will like your job less if your primary motivation is prestige or money. </li><li>You will appreciate your relationships less if you choose your friends and partners based on their social standing. </li><li>You will relish your vacation less if you choose the destination for how it will look on social media.</li></ul>Money, possessions, and power are all extrinsic. Emulating them in others will lead you to extrinsic motivations for your own activities, which will likely lower happiness. Instead, look for admirable intrinsic characteristics in others—such as compassion, faith, fortitude, and honesty. Imitating these characteristics cultivates intrinsic motivations. Thus, they are the best criteria for finding the right role models and mentors to imitate and learn from.The box-checking exercise tends to be about my wants . Shifting it to others’ needs brings greater well-being. Decades of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1037/a0023059">research </a>—and millennia of common sense—have shown that self-centeredness leads to fluctuating emotions at best, while a focus on the needs of others can bring stable happiness. And lest you think this makes a person passive or unambitious, note that there is a significant body of evidence <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0013079">showing </a>that a focus on the good of one’s institution (as opposed to oneself) enhances career success as well.

What's Up With That: Why It's So Hard to Catch Your Own Typos

Stop Keeping Score

Claudio Lintunen