The ages of distraction • Hacker News Board

Re: The ages of distraction

#21

Post by kordless » Sat, Apr 02, 2016, 5:45 PM UTC

Having been the poster child for this not so long ago, my advice to others dealing with distraction is to read about Buddhism. The Eightfold Path is basically an algorithmic approach to resolving cognitive dissonance. Dissonance can be viewed as a form of brain spam. It makes you inefficient and illogical. It's also contagious for those who aren't inoculated against it.

By finding the path and practicing it, the approach may give you access to enlightenment. That state then brings about a change in the brain which results in a quieter brain. I liken it to permanent and constantly available flow.

These are just my opinions based on experience. Everyone should find their own way to the truth.

Re: The ages of distraction

#22

Post by natdempk » Sat, Apr 02, 2016, 6:33 PM UTC

kordless wrote: post #21

Having been the poster child for this not so long ago, my advice to others dealing with distraction is to read about Buddhism. The Eightfold Path is basically an algorithmic approach to resolving cognitive dissonance. Dissonance can be viewed as a form of brain spam. It makes you inefficient and illogical. It's also contagious for those who aren't inoculated against it. By finding the path and practicing it, the appr…

Do you have a recommended starting source for this practice? A book or reading that outlines the ideology and practices?

Re: The ages of distraction

#23

Post by ZeroFries » Sat, Apr 02, 2016, 7:54 PM UTC

kordless wrote: post #21

Having been the poster child for this not so long ago, my advice to others dealing with distraction is to read about Buddhism. The Eightfold Path is basically an algorithmic approach to resolving cognitive dissonance. Dissonance can be viewed as a form of brain spam. It makes you inefficient and illogical. It's also contagious for those who aren't inoculated against it. By finding the path and practicing it, the appr…

I think it's also important to be aware of when you're being reactive towards the web, in other words getting lost in surfing. Look at what sensations come forth when you see a link you want to click, and how automatically your body performs the action of clicking it.

Edit: I've noticed personally this behaviour gets worse the more caffeine I've had.

Re: The ages of distraction

#24

Post by nefitty » Sat, Apr 02, 2016, 8:06 PM UTC

pradex wrote: post #7

Personally I have been a victim of this, about 7-8 years ago I was so much able to sit at one place without a phone or internet and study for 14-16 Hours. And I loved how much I was able to do in a single day, but today I find reading a book or a long article so hard (Even while writing this comment I was distracted thrice by my phone beeping for attention), In last few days I have been trying hard to get back to how…

I have some ways I battle this: I listen to one repetitive track without vocals on repeat, I use pomodoros (http://pomodorotechnique.com) to break my time up and battle exhaustion and sometimes I'll put my headphones on to make sure I don't get distracted.

Re: The ages of distraction

#25

Post by timClicks » Sat, Apr 02, 2016, 8:12 PM UTC

natdempk wrote: post #22

kordless wrote: post #21

Having been the poster child for this not so long ago, my advice to others dealing with distraction is to read about Buddhism. The Eightfold Path is basically an algorithmic approach to resolving cognitive dissonance. Dissonance can be viewed as a form of brain spam. It makes you inefficient and illogical. It's also contagious for those who aren't inoculated against it. By finding the path and practicing it, the appr…

Do you have a recommended starting source for this practice? A book or reading that outlines the ideology and practices?

The in vogue term for secular Bhuddism is mindfulness.

Re: The ages of distraction

#26

Post by qntty » Sat, Apr 02, 2016, 11:20 PM UTC

natdempk wrote: post #22

kordless wrote: post #21

Having been the poster child for this not so long ago, my advice to others dealing with distraction is to read about Buddhism. The Eightfold Path is basically an algorithmic approach to resolving cognitive dissonance. Dissonance can be viewed as a form of brain spam. It makes you inefficient and illogical. It's also contagious for those who aren't inoculated against it. By finding the path and practicing it, the appr…

Do you have a recommended starting source for this practice? A book or reading that outlines the ideology and practices?

For straight Buddhism in modern terms, What the Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula and Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness by Henepola Gunaratana are good.

Re: The ages of distraction

#27

Post by kordless » Sat, Apr 02, 2016, 11:23 PM UTC

natdempk wrote: post #22

kordless wrote: post #21

Having been the poster child for this not so long ago, my advice to others dealing with distraction is to read about Buddhism. The Eightfold Path is basically an algorithmic approach to resolving cognitive dissonance. Dissonance can be viewed as a form of brain spam. It makes you inefficient and illogical. It's also contagious for those who aren't inoculated against it. By finding the path and practicing it, the appr…

Do you have a recommended starting source for this practice? A book or reading that outlines the ideology and practices?

Yes. Google Alan Watts.

Re: The ages of distraction

#28

Post by kordless » Sat, Apr 02, 2016, 11:29 PM UTC

timClicks wrote: post #25

natdempk wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have a recommended starting source for this practice? A book or reading that outlines the ideology and practices?

The in vogue term for secular Bhuddism is mindfulness.

Keeping things sacred slows you down. Slowing down is good because it forces efficiencies as you grind toward aesthetics. As Gregory Bateson said to a colleague, "Keep your systems simple". That is mindfulness.

I'm not a fan of the term Secular Buddhism for the simple reason Gautama Buddha warned on, which is taking the concept and twisting it into something that is used to advance or elevate one person's belief over another's. We're all in this together, ergo we are Buddha Nature. No sense in complicating things.

Complications are inefficiencies. Keep your systems simple.

Re: The ages of distraction

#29

Post by bcook » Sun, Apr 03, 2016, 2:50 AM UTC

AznHisoka wrote: post #16

bcook wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You gave the device access (to yourself), you must take it away... From the other side, I have very little social interaction (no phone or Facebook) and I'm not so sure it's a better choice. Sure, I have free time, but I am also "out of the loop", which has it's own social stigma.

Can you clarify how it makes you feel? Is it that you feel you are missing out on social interaction that you desire?

It's like a drug addiction (Facebook, & to a lesser extent, cell phones). I enjoy it, but I do not accomplish anything I am proud of.

I tell myself that I am more useful when I focus on making meaningful contributions to something, rather than stroking my ego by seeking likes or upvotes. I probably just need to balance things better, but I cannot... just as an addict cannot do just a little of .

Re: The ages of distraction

#30

Post by seivan » Sun, Apr 03, 2016, 8:07 PM UTC

nuttinwrong wrote: post #5

As someone who at one point grew up without the internet, I think I can safely say that my attention has gone out the window with the web. There are just too many things to look at now and browser tabs are constantly competing for my attention. In fact, I would blame inattention for the lack of personal success in my life. Hell, it was even hard getting through the entire article, I just wanted to skip to the end and…

Do you have any suggestion on how to fight it? I mean apart from those "block held" ideas that won't work for me.