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Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

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Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#31

Post by WhompingWindows »

nickjj wrote: post #22

One thing that helped me with procrastination is to expose it for what it really is. Let's say you wanted to quit smoking (I've done it cold turkey after smoking a pack a day for over 10 years btw). The only real way you'll have a fighting chance to quit without any alternative drugs is to really want to quit. Not "oh man I wish I could stop smoking", but "ok, I'm done with this, I'm ready to stop". If you break down…

Interesting comparison between smoking and procrastination. If we examine the neurology of both, we see a dopamine-centric reward system behind task completion, and probably a very small dopamine hit after procrastination. Similarly, nicotine has been shown to affect the very dopaminergic pathways involved in reward/pleasure systems. So, in a very real neurological way, the comparison is apt. I wonder if people who succesfully go cold-turkey off nicotine have some tendency to procrastinate or not? Or generally, do those who smoke have a tendency to procrastinate or not?

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#32

Post by aidenn0 »

WhompingWindows wrote: post #28

Procrastination is the avoidance of activity due to a discomfort/fear/anxiety and subsequent inability to scale the discomfort wall that exists between you and the tasks' completion. Other comments mention a pointlessness or lack of purpose, which I consider secondary, since it's arguable if it's truly procrastination if the work is truly pointless. Procrastination as a term seems best applied to important/mandatory…

The reason for the discomfort wall's existence is important to figuring out the best way to get over it. Certainly being required to do something day-in and day-out that you find purposeless is one way that the wall might be created.

For me, a lot of times it's boredom. It's boring to have to do 2 hours of work sometime in the next week; it's far less boring to have to do 2 hours of work in the next 90 minutes.

(Note I'm not recommending this, as it's basically medicating your boredom with stress, and stress has a lot of well documented side-effects).

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#34

Post by aidenn0 »

WhompingWindows wrote: post #31
nickjj wrote: post #22

One thing that helped me with procrastination is to expose it for what it really is. Let's say you wanted to quit smoking (I've done it cold turkey after smoking a pack a day for over 10 years btw). The only real way you'll have a fighting chance to quit without any alternative drugs is to really want to quit. Not "oh man I wish I could stop smoking", but "ok, I'm done with this, I'm ready to stop". If you break down…

Interesting comparison between smoking and procrastination. If we examine the neurology of both, we see a dopamine-centric reward system behind task completion, and probably a very small dopamine hit after procrastination. Similarly, nicotine has been shown to affect the very dopaminergic pathways involved in reward/pleasure systems. So, in a very real neurological way, the comparison is apt. I wonder if people who s…

Smoking and procrastination are both correlated with ADHD (for which dopamine has also been implicated) so there almost certainly is a correlation between them.

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#35

Post by erickj »

nihil75 wrote: post #33

This questionnaire is entirely incompatible with enterprise environments, where the work is not only boring, but also pointless (as results are way further down the line and deliverables will surely change multiple times).

that's what i'm procrastinating on right now

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#36

Post by erickj »

jannyfer wrote: post #27
r3bl wrote: post #18

Can I suggest either carefully stripping away user input or not using it at all in questions? Clear security issue appeared when I typed: alert("this is bad") ...as a reason of my procrastination: https://imgur.com/a/Xmdi9VQ EDIT: Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-site_scripting

Mind explaining how that text input field creates an XSS opportunity? > XSS enables attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. Nobody other than you will see your alert("this is bad") so this doesn't seem like XSS.

that's until OP decides tonight that the tool is so pouplar that sticking a database behind it to serve anonymous examples MUST be a good idea, e.g.

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#37

Post by ChristianBundy »

r3bl wrote: post #18

Can I suggest either carefully stripping away user input or not using it at all in questions? Clear security issue appeared when I typed: alert("this is bad") ...as a reason of my procrastination: https://imgur.com/a/Xmdi9VQ EDIT: Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-site_scripting

This is just a self-XSS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-site_scripting#Self-XSS

If it were a reflected XSS you could trigger it with something like https://whydoiprocrastinate.com/#%3Cscript%3Ealert%28%22this..., but I don't think this actually matters.

Sloppy programming, sure, but it isn't a real security issue.

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#38

Post by WhompingWindows »

aidenn0 wrote: post #34
WhompingWindows wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting comparison between smoking and procrastination. If we examine the neurology of both, we see a dopamine-centric reward system behind task completion, and probably a very small dopamine hit after procrastination. Similarly, nicotine has been shown to affect the very dopaminergic pathways involved in reward/pleasure systems. So, in a very real neurological way, the comparison is apt. I wonder if people who s…

Smoking and procrastination are both correlated with ADHD (for which dopamine has also been implicated) so there almost certainly is a correlation between them.

Oh true, I studied ADHD a bit, it's a neuro-developmental disorder of the dopaminergic system. Specifically, the motor cortex will develop more quickly/strongly than the executive function system, leading to a hyperactivity of motor activity and a hypo*activity of the "secretary" of the mind which filters/prioritizes/plans behaviors. Now there is a subset of primarily inattentive ADHD, which has less to do with movement and more to do with "spacing out" and lack of focus/attention, which can be combined with hyperactivity in the combined type (CT), versus the primarily inattentive subtype (PI). Also, yes, those with ADHD are much more likely to abuse stimulants, marijuana, and alcohol, anything with which to alter the brain chemistry away from a normal modality which might be stressful to be in. I have heard anecdotal tales about ADHD medications as revelations bordering on spirituality, people crying after taking their first dose at age 30 and realizing how much more "normal" it might make them. Really good to know that people can react so positively, though we also know that many non-ADHD individuals abuse the drugs as well.

Re: Show HN: Why Do I Procrastinate? – Web MD for Procrastination

#40

Post by yoodenvranx »

WhompingWindows wrote: post #28

Procrastination is the avoidance of activity due to a discomfort/fear/anxiety and subsequent inability to scale the discomfort wall that exists between you and the tasks' completion. Other comments mention a pointlessness or lack of purpose, which I consider secondary, since it's arguable if it's truly procrastination if the work is truly pointless. Procrastination as a term seems best applied to important/mandatory…

> Procrastination is the avoidance of activity due to a discomfort/fear/anxiety and subsequent inability to scale the discomfort wall that exists between you and the tasks' completion.

I am pretty sure my main reason for procrastination is the fact that I never learned to endure suffering/discomfort while growing up.

I grew up very sheltered and I was never forced to do anything which I did not like (bring out the trash, clean up the room, talk to people, ...). It was kinda nice growing up like this but when you turn 18 and have to enter the real world you realize you miss all the coping mechanisms which you need to do uncomfortable stuff.

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