[HN Gopher] The Joy of an Empty Brain
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       The Joy of an Empty Brain
        
       Author : robg
       Score  : 54 points
       Date   : 2023-04-21 17:53 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.wsj.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.wsj.com)
        
       | wslh wrote:
       | Rant: beyond the topic of animal violence and/or domestication I
       | always wonder if and which animals are happier than humans beyond
       | the smartness factor [1].
       | 
       | [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7379717/
        
       | zw123456 wrote:
       | I call it a me day. I take a day off and do NOTHING. Not all the
       | time, every once in a while. No plan, just do whatever I feel. So
       | many times, it resulted in something interesting, I write
       | something or invent something or just nothing but joy. Sort of
       | Zen like but sometimes we all need a break from everything. Just
       | me and a sketch book at the park, or just laying around staring
       | off into space.
       | 
       | Try it.
        
       | MengerSponge wrote:
       | Manoush Zomorodi's "Bored and Brilliant" addressed this really
       | well back in 2015: https://www.wnyc.org/series/bored-and-
       | brilliant
        
       | WalterBright wrote:
       | "An open mind is an empty mind."
        
       | robg wrote:
       | https://archive.is/71DpL
        
       | INeedMoreRam wrote:
       | [dead]
        
       | uejfiweun wrote:
       | Sounds like this author has independently arrived at the same
       | conclusion that Cal Newport did in Digital Minimalism. I'd expect
       | this movement to continue to pick up steam as people slowly wake
       | up from the digital wool that has been pulled over their eyes.
        
         | andai wrote:
         | https://tim.blog/2007/04/19/mastering-the-low-information-di...
        
           | uejfiweun wrote:
           | Haha, not surprising to see this. I guess the simple art of
           | isolating yourself from distractions and focusing is
           | something that humanity will have to rediscover time and time
           | again.
        
         | oumua_don17 wrote:
         | Related to the same topic is Stolen Focus and has been
         | mentioned many times on HN.
         | 
         | https://stolenfocusbook.com/
        
         | badpun wrote:
         | You think so? Before Internet, people were watching TV for
         | hours and hours every day. I think we just love completely
         | effortless, passive entertainment, even if it's ultimately low
         | value.
        
           | ray__ wrote:
           | I think the difference is that the digital wool fools us into
           | thinking, at least at some level, that we're being
           | productive. It's much easier to pull yourself away from the
           | TV to "do" something because watching TV genuinely feels
           | passive. Consumption of content on the internet/smartphones
           | blends the passive entertainment with a feeling of
           | productivity so well that you feel like it's actually worth
           | it to just check this or that app, or to just scroll for a
           | little bit longer to see if you happen across something that
           | actually has value. It's harder to break away from.
        
           | knallfrosch wrote:
           | You're right. It gets worse over time. People now carry their
           | TV to the toilet, read digital news on the bus and respond to
           | texts on their phone even when "out" with someone else.
        
           | rr808 wrote:
           | You had smaller low quality screens, fewer channels and no
           | ability to record. Even if some people watched TV a lot, it
           | was much easier to ignore.
        
           | kahrl wrote:
           | Complete false equivalence. Watching reruns of Roseanne is
           | not the same as doomscrolling Reddit or obsessing over social
           | media.
           | 
           | Remember when your TV changed its programming just for you
           | individually, in an attempt to keep you engaged regardless of
           | your mental health? NO?
           | 
           | You're in denial. GTFO with that weak shit.
        
             | ben_w wrote:
             | Back in the days when TV was still popular, I remember some
             | headline saying that researchers had monitored brain energy
             | use while watching TV and while literally watching paint
             | dry, and determined that people's brains were more switched
             | off when watching TV.
             | 
             | I wonder if that study was ever replicated...
        
             | the-printer wrote:
             | Chill, man.
        
           | wpietri wrote:
           | I mostly agree, but I don't think we actually love it
           | exactly. I think, like alcohol, overconsumption is a response
           | to stress and trauma.
        
       | [deleted]
        
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       (page generated 2023-04-22 23:00 UTC)