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All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)

theguardian.com

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Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)

#401

Post by myth_buster »

discreteevent wrote: post #206
chordalkeyboard wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes! So one wonders if aboriginal foraging humans have a concept of enlightenment.

Indeed. I read a book called The Songlines which was about Australian aboriginals and nomadism in general. It qouted Pascal and proposed that the solution is to walk and to wander. That's what we are made for. The solution to the problem of sitting in a room is not to sit in a room!

> The solution to the problem of sitting in a room is not to sit in a room!

Wouldn't that itself be a form of distraction. Your subconscious will be activated but your conscious mind be distracted.

Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)

#402

Post by todd8 »

I like music. I find almost all forms of music entertaining and sometimes quite moving: rock, pop, jazz, hip hop, country, classical and even occasionally opera.

However, there is one common form of music I can’t tolerate, background music. Such music seems to prevent really deep thinking in me. Music with lyrics interferes with my ability to write and any music slows my ability to do mathematics. I’ve mentioned this to my friends and coworkers, and they always give me this look like they can’t understand what I’m talking about. I suppose I prefer to sit in a quiet room alone.

Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)

#404

Post by arnejenssen »

derwiki wrote: post #343
arnejenssen wrote: post #336

My favourite Christmas activity is a 7-day digital detox. A weeklong solo offline retreat in a cabin. I do it during the holidays because it is the easiest to block off the calendar. The retreat it self is not very "exciting", but the effect on mental clarity around the 4th day is profound.

Out of curiosity, do you do any journaling/writing? I’ve found that time thinking is great (running, biking) but it’s when I start writing that thoughts/solutions really start solidifying.

Hi. I don't do any journaling or reading by intention. The purpose is to try to stay in a meditative/mindful state.

However I do note down ideas in a notebook if they come up, but I don't sit down to write.

Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)

#405

Post by jacksonlango »

somedude895 wrote: post #179
pantelisk wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was looking at this quote for a long time. I forgot who it was from, and only remembered it paraphrased. Thank you. To also contribute to the discussion. I often joke that it takes effort to mess things up. You could instead lay on the beach enjoy the evening breeze than putting in that effort. So before you delve into that process, take a step back and think carefully what you want out of it. I like long walks acc…

Why is it, that sitting alone will have me ruminating, thinking negative thoughts whereas when I'm moving my legs thoughts seem to be more positive or productive?

It may be because walking may cause bilateral stimulation of the brain.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5061320/

Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)

#406

Post by mcguire »

Is this age-related? Or cultural as well?

When I was young, my father, who was in his 60s and retired after a heart attack, would spend a lot of time sitting in a rocker on the porch, doing nothing. I couldn't think of anything worse. Now, I'm in my 50s and find that sitting out on the patio alone and watching birds go by is actually a pretty good way to spend some time.

Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)

#407

Post by nine_k »

pmoriarty wrote: post #357
pharke wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is useful to add that even distraction and entertainment are suffering and unfulfilling in that they are impermanent, illusory and essentially devoid of meaning. All things have "equal taste", good or bad all comes to us through the senses which only produce a reflection of the world in our mind. Even our perception of our own inner world is an appearance of the same sort in consciousness. This shouldn't excuse in…

"It is useful to add that even distraction and entertainment are suffering and unfulfilling in that they are impermanent, illusory and essentially devoid of meaning." This doesn't fully make sense to me. Sure, at some point your pleasure will end, but do you have to judge something by its end? Why not judge it by its beginning or middle instead? It's like saying "don't enjoy your meal, because at some point later you…

A meal is tasty and enjoyable, but you will soon need another one.

Suffering can be temporarily staved off, but not completely removed.

Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)

#408

Post by Talanes »

austincheney wrote: post #93
Talanes wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not convinced anyone is. Full objectivity is hindered by our minds ability to guess and rationalize. Personally I find all attempts at self-knowledge are just a constant game of trying to sieve truth from rationalization, and I go back and forth on which is which constantly. Ultimately I cannot tell the difference within myself, and I cannot trust that anyone else can either.

I wasn’t speaking to a philosophical maxim, but rather practical application. Self-awareness is a real thing that can be objectively measured comparative between different people.

What's your method for measuring that? The general personality models that I've seen really only seem to be testing for a minimum amount of self-awareness.

Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)

#409

Post by noarchy »

tectonicfury wrote: post #388
pmoriarty wrote: post #381

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The truly vast amount of literature on both Buddhism and Hinduism argue to the contrary. Also, the ultimate reality in Buddhism, Hinduism, and (incidentally) mystic forms of Islam, is often described as being beyond words and even beyond conception, so there is a limited amount that could be said about it in ordinary language -- though that hasn't stopped people from trying. In Buddhism one often hears the teachings…

As a Muslim, I can assure you there’s no such thing as mystic Islam. Islam is foremost about clarity, simplicity and straightforwardness in its message of pure monotheism. It does not seek to lure people by mesmerising them with incomprehensible riddles. It hides nothing. The so called mystic Islam also known as Sufism, is a deviant sect, and is fundamentally a gateway to polytheism, as it borrows many practices from…

>The so called mystic Islam also known as Sufism, is a deviant sect, and is fundamentally a gateway to polytheism, as it borrows many practices from polytheistic religions.

This illustrates that you have a fundamentalist streak in you: you've described a form of Islam you don't like as being "deviant". You're gatekeeping Islam.

Re: All problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone (2014)

#410

Post by tasuki »

tectonicfury wrote: post #332
state_less wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it’s okay to die. As Stevenson once put it: Under the wide and starry sky, Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will. This be the verse you grave for me: Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from sea, And the hunter home from the hill. - Robert Louis Stevenson

But there’s Judgment Day after it.

How do you know?
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