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Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

economist.com

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Re: Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

#231

Post by chrisweekly »

chrisweekly wrote: post #65
orky56 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not exactly. Meditation is a solitary activity where one can train the mind to emptiness. What the article and I'm referring to is getting to that state while still being in the moment. Meditation might be the ability to sharpen the sword but this is about being able to use it in battle.

Upvoted; I like your analogy. IMHO (and IME as a daily practitioner of zazen meditation), mindfulness is entirely about being in the present moment. Ideally, you simply stay there all the time at which point the "sword" is already sharp and always swinging, whether there's a "battle" or not. (shrug)

Too late to edit my comment, but on 2nd thought I'd prefer to pivot from the violent connotations of swinging a sword to something more peaceful. Armor might be a closer metaphor... but that implies a closing-off from the world which is the opposite of what mindfulness brings. So I'll give up on the tortured metaphors here for now. :)

Re: Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

#232

Post by amatecha »

danybittel wrote: post #175
amatecha wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who's been programming for years, one of my biggest complaints in software is over-engineering. It's so universally prevalent, I literally expect to get downvoted for even making this comment. I strongly advocate for simplicity in software implementation, allowing for maintainability and flexibility... the cleanest solution that reaches the goal and doesn't lock us too far into a narrow approach that may b…

"I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time." In my experience, you often start with a somewhat over engineered solution. Then you take the (long) process of really understanding it and slowly distill it down. This is true for a new feature and also the whole codebase.

Yeah, that's a great point. The final code I submit is often 2/3 the size of what I initially got running (perhaps less, even). I'm always happy to see a code review that is removing more code than it's adding, haha :) I like to use the phrase "measure twice, cut once" in regards to shipping code. Take the time to pare it down to the truly essential functionality, trimming away extraneous stuff that complicates things and may even be premature optimization. It's certainly a skill that takes time to improve at, haha

Re: Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

#233

Post by Layke1123 »

orky56 wrote: post #25

"The only reliable cure for overthinking seems to be enjoyment, something that both success and analysis can dull." This point at the end seems a bit forced without any support beyond the author's assertion. The feeling I get is someone who has mastered this unthinking is "enlightened" of sorts with an ability to get to satisfaction with a humility that can be mistaken for smugness. From fiction, I might refer to the…

What if you enjoy overthinking though? What if that is your relaxation, is to be incredibly consumed in thought and solving new and intricate problems versus the dull existence of just "being"?

Re: Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

#234

Post by Layke1123 »

janeroe wrote: post #212
discreteevent wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hygiene

That's the modern justification. Surgery "in the middle of a desert in the insanitary conditions and no water" for "hygiene" is a very counter-intuitive practice, don't you think?

Wow, I never thought about this. It would be interesting to do a study to see what lead to more disease, child circumcision during that time, or hygiene complications later in life, not to mention and STDs that might be spread more easily. Fascinating new way to look at it.

Re: Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

#235

Post by Layke1123 »

Robotbeat wrote: post #229
WJW wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are quite a few places in bitcoin where trust is required. For example, the software is developed by a relatively small group of core devs and 99%+ of bitcoin users will never read that code (and its dependencies) to see if it contains backdoors. We just have to trust the devs to "do it right" and not get compromised by either greed or blackmailed by external parties. If you presuppose a sophisticated enough at…

I agree. You have to write your own software (offline, perhaps), not use a mining pool, plus not use an exchange to be trustless. And you’re still having to trust the other end to actually deliver on what they’re paying for, although they don’t necessarily have to trust you. That last sentence is one of the few changes that Bitcoin makes: it moves power from the consumer (who has ability to charge back if the goods a…

So new taxes to support the infrastructure that allows feeless ACH/payments? Not saying I'm for or against, I'm just trying to understand your argument in full. It seems like the logical way that your idea would be funded.

Re: Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

#236

Post by Layke1123 »

p1mrx wrote: post #171
purplecats wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> all the people in the rationalist cult never seem to actually be successful at anything other than rationalism do you have a link? would love to read this, and it probably applies to me :)

Probably https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24803540

But a non-rationalist is also more likely to die. It's pretty hard to get hit by a car if you are a rational person.

Re: Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

#237

Post by Layke1123 »

bloodorange wrote: post #172
hnick wrote: post #66

Thinking keeps me awake. It's getting worse as I get older. Maybe it's anxiety or something related, and sometimes it's worried thoughts, but often it's just running through scenarios. Video games, media plots, what I need to do next week. My brain is far more active after 10pm, and I am personally more motivated. I get a burst of energy but it's not really the right time to clean the house so lying in bed has it all…

I assume you have already considered and observed the effect of alcohol and/or caffeine intake. One thing that definitely helps me is to have a routine for bedtime. A hot shower, bed preheated in winter (heated underblanket), keeping the room cold and reading a book while lying in bed. I typically pick technical material as it's less likely to keep me up all night with an engrossing story. At some point, I notice tha…

So what do you do about thoughts of others suffering while you live the good life? Do these kind of thoughts ever keep you up or torment you? Or how do you view a life of luxury while others die at a young age?

Re: Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

#238

Post by bloodorange »

Layke1123 wrote: post #237
bloodorange wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume you have already considered and observed the effect of alcohol and/or caffeine intake. One thing that definitely helps me is to have a routine for bedtime. A hot shower, bed preheated in winter (heated underblanket), keeping the room cold and reading a book while lying in bed. I typically pick technical material as it's less likely to keep me up all night with an engrossing story. At some point, I notice tha…

So what do you do about thoughts of others suffering while you live the good life? Do these kind of thoughts ever keep you up or torment you? Or how do you view a life of luxury while others die at a young age?

If you want to go down that line of thought, you would still have to concede that without adequate sleep, you will be ineffective. In either case, lying in bed, unable to sleep, thinking about those things doesn't lead to anything positive (in my view). Even Gandhi had to sleep.

Feeling guilty and the victim mindset are different sides of the same coin here. Neither is productive.

Re: Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

#239

Post by Robotbeat »

Layke1123 wrote: post #235
Robotbeat wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. You have to write your own software (offline, perhaps), not use a mining pool, plus not use an exchange to be trustless. And you’re still having to trust the other end to actually deliver on what they’re paying for, although they don’t necessarily have to trust you. That last sentence is one of the few changes that Bitcoin makes: it moves power from the consumer (who has ability to charge back if the goods a…

So new taxes to support the infrastructure that allows feeless ACH/payments? Not saying I'm for or against, I'm just trying to understand your argument in full. It seems like the logical way that your idea would be funded.

The Nordic countries have instant payments. It doesn't actually cost anything extra (just the usual flat fee, maybe $0.20 to $1... although for smaller payments like for a candy bar, you could choose a 0.5% to 1% fee which might be cheaper...), except for companies that gain from rents they charge for wire transfers, etc. Here's an example from the Nordic countries: https://nordicpayments.eu/p27-the-payment-gamechanger/

Actual expert on the topic: "For truly "instant" clearing and settlement the main hope is the RTP network, which already has extensive coverage. (FedNow, its rival, is 3 years away). The Fed can also quicken payments by (1) having Fedwire and NSS operate 24/7 and (2) easing FinTech Master Account access." https://twitter.com/GeorgeSelgin/status/1356937488871358465?...

Re: Thinking too much can be bad for you (2012)

#240

Post by colechristensen »

tremon wrote: post #216
colechristensen wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a word that is missing from the language or at least common usage, and that is differentiating something done with conscious effort of every little detail, and something you just do without thinking about it. (there are probably lots of words which somewhat fit the bill) The hardest way to do something is complete conscious control of every step, the easiest way is something you can do perfectly on autopilot…

In Dutch that word would be "automatisme": a habit so ingrained in your mechanical memory that it doesn't require conscious thought. Thinking about it, wouldn't the word "habit" cover it in English? It makes me smile to realize that our habits are so ingrained, we don't even realize we have a word for it :)

That's great, I can't seem to find a dutch dictionary that includes that word, but I do find it in french with presumably a very similar meaning.

Habit is close, but with a different application. Habits likewise can be done without thinking but with more of a insinuation that the behavior is a sort of regular repeating part of your life. Like a smoking habit or your morning routine.

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