As per the image added to your question, I assume the "hidden" directory in question is /home/robert/.local/share/applications. As this is at the end of your path, if anything in that directory also exists in other directories (like /usr/bin or even /usr/robert/bin), then the .local directory will be shadowed for those and the ones earlier in the path will be preferentially run.

If, for instance, you are trying to run an executable named thing, you can use either of these commands:

type -a thing

which -a thing

and you may find it lists both executables, although only the first one in the path would be run.