[deleted]
All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)
191–200 of 468 posts
Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)
#192It was Eckhart Tolle who wanted to be able to just sit motionless on a park bench and still enjoy life. In turn that spurred him to write The Power of Now. While new-agey, it actually employs some techniques that are very similar to those used within cognitive therapy.
Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)
#193This quote comes from Blaise Pascal's Pensées, accessible here. "That is why we like noise and activity so much. That is why imprisonment is such a horrific punishment. That is why the pleasure of being alone is incomprehensible. That is, in fact, the main joy of the condition of kingship, because people are constantly trying to amuse kings and provide them with all sorts of distraction.—The king is surrounded by peo…
[deleted]
Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)
#194Earlier quoted context omitted.
the day you can sit for hours without doing anything, you've attained the state of self-realization – self-love free from all conditions. The conditioned mind is no longer there, the thoughts no longer bombard you, the emotions no longer disturb you. You enjoy the deep peace, contentment and bliss of your infinite self. Then you can truly contemplate deeply on anything you feel important, then the deep mysteries of e…
> Then, you see the truth, of life, existence and the universe. Pretty words, but do they mean anything? For example, if I reach this state, will it be revealed to me why there is something rather than nothing? I think not, otherwise someone would have reported back with the answer already. I'm interested in meditation to learn more about my own body and mind, maybe improve my life somehow. But IMHO the discussions a…
> I think not, otherwise someone would have reported back with the answer already.
Well, they have, but nobody believes them :)
In any case, I understand your attitude to the mystic woo. It used to put me off a lot when I started meditating.
Now I take it as simply something that's there. They are statements that someone makes. If they're talking about states that someone could reach and they also give instructions, I might consider trying them to see what happens.
In any case as a programmer and scientifically minded meditator, I encourage you to pursue your interest in meditation. Try different techniques until you find something that works. Take it easy, take it slow, cultivate play and joy in your practice. If you manage to do that, you'll reap the fruit of your practice.
I wish you good luck!
Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)
#195This quote comes from Blaise Pascal's Pensées, accessible here. "That is why we like noise and activity so much. That is why imprisonment is such a horrific punishment. That is why the pleasure of being alone is incomprehensible. That is, in fact, the main joy of the condition of kingship, because people are constantly trying to amuse kings and provide them with all sorts of distraction.—The king is surrounded by peo…
>The king is surrounded by people whose only thought is to entertain him and prevent him from thinking about himself. This is really interesting from a modern perspective. I'm an audiophile - I've spent countless hours just sitting in a chair in front of a stereo system I've spent a couple thousand on. If I ever lapse into non-attention to the music, I try and get back to the music. It's like mindfulness meditation,…
I wouldn't take comparison to Hegel as a great compliment. That said, the magnitude of knowledge and knowledgeable people in the 21st century (and onwards) will far outnumber the 19th century. So that what made one appear as a genius then would make them look ordinary now. I'm not asking us to see people of bygone eras differently than they're written about—I'm asking that we revere them, but with a healthy dose of skepticism which prevents us from seeing ourselves and times as failed in comparison.
Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)
#196Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)
#197Earlier quoted context omitted.
the day you can sit for hours without doing anything, you've attained the state of self-realization – self-love free from all conditions. The conditioned mind is no longer there, the thoughts no longer bombard you, the emotions no longer disturb you. You enjoy the deep peace, contentment and bliss of your infinite self. Then you can truly contemplate deeply on anything you feel important, then the deep mysteries of e…
> Then, you see the truth, of life, existence and the universe. Pretty words, but do they mean anything? For example, if I reach this state, will it be revealed to me why there is something rather than nothing? I think not, otherwise someone would have reported back with the answer already. I'm interested in meditation to learn more about my own body and mind, maybe improve my life somehow. But IMHO the discussions a…
Get Mind Illuminated by John Yates Phd. He breaks down the process into ten steps, woo free.
Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)
#198Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you are commenting here, you haven't really quit "social media".
While I agree, I personally give HN a pass due to the fact that conversation is typically better here and the fact that it's technically focused.
HN is also in a strange category for me.
The articles and the conversations are better quality than on any other social media with the added bonus that what I read is relevant for my daily job and career.
At the same time, it's still distracting, I almost never finish an article and go straight to the comments, thinking "entertain me, comment section". I feel productive, but in reality, it's superficial knowledge, and spending time here is time I don't spend on actually working on my goals.
In the end, it's all about balancing the pros and cons. For Facebook, Instagram, it's easy, I don't use them. For Twitter, I focus exclusively on tech so that I don't end up in a pointless yet vicious fight. For HN, it's spending 10 minutes on the top articles, keeping up with important industry news every second day.
Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)
#199Why would you sit quietly alone in a room when you could be enjoying a sauna, soaking up the sun at the beach, or picnicking in a park? I don’t think the problem is sitting alone with one’s thoughts - but rather that an indoor room isn’t a particularly desirable environment. At least it isn’t as undesirable as an airplane seat though.
Before small screens and walkmans, millions of people flew every day in an airplane seat trapped with their own thoughts. For many, it was probably the only time they experienced this. I actually get comments from other passengers now how I can sit and look out the window for hours without music, movie or book. In their rooms, they have other venues and probably less fear of negative self-conscious thoughts (too fat,…
And all of them had books or newspapers.
Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)
#200That is so bizarre for me to read this:
"83% said they'd spent zero time just thinking"
I struggle to turn down my inner dialogue, because I enjoy being in my head juggling with ideas, and I thought I was the weird one for doing it. What is hiding in those people's head that they are scared of being alone in it ?