To pay careful attention to; to take notice of and act upon advice or warnings.
From Old English 'hedan' meaning 'to watch, guard, care for', related to Old High German 'huotan' (to guard). The word has maintained its core meaning of careful attention and vigilance throughout its history.
Heed is related to the word 'hood' - both come from roots meaning 'to cover' or 'to protect,' showing how paying attention was originally conceived as a form of protection! In our age of information overload, the ancient wisdom embedded in this word reminds us that selective attention is indeed a form of self-care.
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