The Acceleration of Addictiveness
paulgraham.com
The Acceleration of Addictiveness
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Re: The Acceleration of Addictiveness
#2Perhaps the only thing saving us from enslavement to superstimulus is the hedonic treadmill.
And vice-versa.
Re: The Acceleration of Addictiveness
#3Of course, the Amish are way ahead of everyone there. Choosing for slowness, and especially, thinking about what they're willing to take on or not, and where and how (eg computer at the office but not at home). It probably helps to have a community around you, both to support the 'privations' and, to lessen the need for addictants.
Re: The Acceleration of Addictiveness
#4The link to the Paleolithic diet made me think that one strategy against increasing addition is to normalize for evolutionary time. Still requires a lot of learned, subjective insight. But basically, anything that has proved itself via evolution is more sturdy and is worth congregating around (these include immediate things that affect the body, but also the evolution of societies, etc.).
Bravo on another great essay though. This made me smile:
You can probably take it as a rule of thumb from now on that if people don't think you're weird, you're living badly.
Re: The Acceleration of Addictiveness
#5I worry we may be heading for a future in which only a few people plot their own itinerary through no-land, while everyone else books a package tour.
That's been the case for the majority of human history. It's mostly the case now. Most non-religious, progressive thinking people, don't actually think through most issues for themselves. They believe in institutions - academia, NPR, etc. Most people believe what they do about nutrition for instance, not from reading studies themselves, but through accredited officials (PHD's) as interpreted by the NYTimes.
Re: The Acceleration of Addictiveness
#6Didn't quite get the Paleo diet reference: are you viewing it as a new (and thus suspicious) fad or as an old, safe and proven way of eating?
Re: The Acceleration of Addictiveness
#7Didn't quite get the Paleo diet reference: are you viewing it as a new (and thus suspicious) fad or as an old, safe and proven way of eating?
This confused me as well, seeing how it's both at the same time. :)
With regards to the diet itself though: works for me, so I'm happy with it.
Re: The Acceleration of Addictiveness
#8I noticed the internet becoming especially addicting to me with the addition of HULU to the internet.
Before HULU it was very easy to keep myself from wasting the US average of 4.5hrs of TV watching a day. I just gave away my TV. During that period I had a lot more time to work, enjoy books, friends, the outdoors or other more enjoyable but less addicting activities.
Now however TV is a part of the internet and I have difficulty blocking it. I've tried editing hosts files, rescuetime, and even made my own app (8aweek YC W08). But I'm on a losing battle with this addiction so far.
Re: The Acceleration of Addictiveness
#9Thanks for this excellent essay. In my case, it describes a painfully current issue.
I am looking for strategies on how to deal with this addiction. How to start? Where to get help? Where to find the force to escape? How to convince myself that I want to change and WHY?
Re: The Acceleration of Addictiveness
#10"heroin, and crack have in common is that they're all more concentrated forms of less addictive predecessors."
Heroin and crack aren't more concentrated, they just get absorbed faster into the brain. For whatever reason the faster a substance gets absorbed the more likely you are to get addicted to it. For any given drug smoking it is the most likely to lead to addiction, followed by injection, snorting, sublingual, and eating in that order. Obviously this doesn't change your point at all, but I only mention it because it stands to reason that the addictiveness of other things works the same way. (For example, you might be able to keep HN equally useful but make it less addictive if there were a way to slow down the rate of gratification.)