The term “divert” in literature has been deployed with a range of nuanced meanings, from the physical act of distraction to a more subtle deflection of the mind’s focus. In some passages, like those in Boccaccio’s work [1, 2], it denotes engaging in pleasant pastimes—playing chess or reading—to ease monotony or melancholy. In other texts, it is used to describe actions aimed at redirecting attention away from serious issues or suspicions, as seen in Dickens’ portrayal of misdirection in social and investigative contexts [3, 4, 5]. Meanwhile, authors such as Swift and Montaigne deploy “divert” to illustrate attempts to temporarily alleviate mental burdens or mislead onlookers, whether to escape the pain of grief or to distract from one’s true intentions [6, 7, 8]. Overall, the word serves as a versatile literary tool that captures both the lighthearted and the strategic repurposing of focus across a spectrum of human experiences.