https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-joy-of-a-totally-empty-brain-4fe4a739 Skip to Main Content Dow Jones, a News Corp companyAbout WSJ * News Corp is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content and other products and services. * Dow Jones + Barron's + BigCharts + Dow Jones Businesses + Dow Jones Newswires + Factiva + Financial News + Mansion Global + MarketWatch + Newsmart + NewsPlus + Risk & Compliance + WSJ Live + WSJ Pro + WSJ Video + WSJ.com * News Corp + Avail + Business Spectator + HarperCollins Publishers + Housing + Makaan + New York Post + PropTiger + REA + realtor.com + Storyful + The Australian + The Sun + The Times * WSJ Logo The Joy of a Totally Empty Brain Share Resize --------------------------------------------------------------------- Listen (2 min) SubscribeSign In SubscribeSign In * English Edition Edition[English ] * Print Edition * Video * Audio * Latest Headlines * More More[Other Products from WSJ] * Home * World Regions Africa Asia Canada China Europe Latin America Middle East Sections Economy More World Video * U.S. Sections Economy Law Politics More U.S. Video What's News Podcast * Politics More Politics Video * Economy WSJ Pro Bankruptcy Central Banking Private Equity Venture Capital More Economic Forecasting Survey Economy Video Sections Capital Account * Business Sections Management Journal Reports The Future of Everything Obituaries Tech/WSJ.D Industries Aerospace & Defense Autos & Transportation Commercial Real Estate Consumer Products Energy Entrepreneurship Financial Services Food & Services Health Care Hospitality Law Manufacturing Media & Marketing Natural Resources Retail C-Suite CFO Journal CIO Journal CMO Today Logistics Report Risk & Compliance The Workplace Report Columns Heard on the Street WSJ Pro Bankruptcy Central Banking Cybersecurity Private Equity Sustainable Business Venture Capital More Business Video Business Podcast Space & Science * Tech Sections CIO Journal The Future of Everything Personal Tech Columns Christopher Mims Joanna Stern Julie Jargon Nicole Nguyen More Tech Video Tech Podcast * Markets Sections Bonds Commercial Real Estate Commodities & Futures Stocks Personal Finance WSJ Money Streetwise Intelligent Investor Columns Heard on the Street Greg Ip Jason Zweig Laura Saunders James Mackintosh Market Data Market Data Home U.S. Stocks Currencies Companies Commodities Bonds & Rates Mutual Funds & ETFs More CFO Journal Markets Video Your Money Briefing Podcast Secrets of Wealthy Women Podcast Search Quotes and Companies * Opinion Columnists Gerard Baker Sadanand Dhume James Freeman William A. 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Strassel Allysia Finley More Editorials Commentary Future View Houses of Worship Cross Country Letters to the Editor The Weekend Interview Potomac Watch Podcast Foreign Edition Podcast Free Expression Podcast Opinion Video Notable & Quotable * Books & Arts Reviews Film Television Theater Masterpiece Series Music Dance Opera Exhibition Cultural Commentary Art Sections Arts Books More WSJ Puzzles What To Watch Arts Calendar * Real Estate Sections Commercial Real Estate More Real Estate Video * Life & Work Sections Cars Careers Food & Drink Home & Design Ideas Personal Finance Recipes Travel Wellness Columns Your Health Work & Life Carry On Bonds Turning Points On Wine On The Clock More WSJ Puzzles Space & Science * Style Sections Lifestyle Fashion Film Television Music Art & Auctions Columns My Monday Morning Off Brand On Trend * Sports Sections MLB NBA NFL Golf Tennis Soccer Columns Jason Gay Search WSJ Logo The Joy of a Totally Empty Brain Share Resize --------------------------------------------------------------------- Listen (2 min) This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ the-joy-of-a-totally-empty-brain-4fe4a739 * Life & Work * Ideas * Jason Gay The Joy of a Totally Empty Brain Modern distractions cannot compete with the inspiration of old-fashioned boredom Jason Gay hedcutBy Jason Gay April 21, 2023 9:33 am ET Share Resize --------------------------------------------------------------------- Listen (2 min) [im-767157] Illustration: Zohar Lazar To write this humor column, I had to empty my brain. I mean empty it even more than its usual echoing, empty state. Let me explain. Modern life has clogged my skull to the limit. Technology has delivered an avalanche of options to preoccupy me at any hour; the notion of idle time that can't be filled with some form of digital distraction is foreign to me, almost unnerving. 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