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Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people: study (2014)

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Re: Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people: study (2014)

#91

I'm 27 years old and I don't have much purpose in life. am I'm kind of becoming desperate, to be honest. I have always thought about becoming a programmer but I don't know where to start. What programming language do you learn first? What languages and skills do you need to learn to become hire-able by a company?

To a small minority, programming is an interest in itself. To most programmers, programming is a tool for achieving something they want. I learned to program mainly to make video games and websites. For a general purpose programming language, I might suggest Lua. It's much less cryptic than most.

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Re: Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people: study (2014)

#92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two sides of a coin. "Deviant" and "interesting" are the same kinds behaviors but with different value judgements.

I don’t think “deviant” is the right word to describe CK’s abhorrent behavior at all. Being different isn’t a bad thing. Rex Ryan is a “deviant”. Sure, some people may judge him but there’s nothing inherently harmful or unethical about what he chooses to do for sexual gratification. CK might be a deviant in that others don’t find gratification the way he apparently does but his deviance isn’t the issue. This issue is…

I’m unsure if you’re saying I shouldn’t be criticising him or should be more critical?

If he’d just been doing something sexually odd on his own I have no issue with almost anything that might be - but what he was doing abused his power and hurt other people.

Re: Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people: study (2014)

#93

Ever since reading Bertrand Russell's "The Conquest of Happiness", I've thought a lot about the importance of being able to sit inside my own head. One quote that I wrote down: > A life too full of excitement is an exhausting life, in which continually stronger stimuli are needed to give the thrill that has come to be thought an essential part of pleasure. A person accustomed to too much excitement is like a person w…

This is a profound realisation that is usually preceded by experiencing the sickness and suffering that comes with unrestrained desire. How it takes over one's discriminating faculties until one becomes blind to everyday beauty.

I cannot recommend meditation enough to train the mind to stay calm when desires want to run rampant. No mantras or music, just sit in silence and boredom. Thoughts will come and go and eventually you will learn to cope with yourself.

Re: Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people: study (2014)

#94

I treat "doing nothing" as failure. It's normal to be bored, confused, tired sometimes, but you should have a goal & move forward, always .

I treat doing nothing as success. I opted out of the working world for 3 years in my 20s (lived cheaply off savings) and did little more than watch movies/tv, read, and walk/exercise.

Had no goals and no ambitions and loved every moment of it.

Re: Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people: study (2014)

#95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>substituting titillations for profound organic satisfactions, cleverness for wisdom, and jagged surprises for beauty... ...And porn for relationships and intimacy. If there's any modern ill that has exacerbated our inability to be comfortable with boredom (which is essentially inner loneliness) it's porn. It's an escape for loneliness and a terrible salve that leaves the intrinsic desires for intimacy and connection…

I'm sorry if that's been your experience but this generalisation is a bit much. I probably watch about as much porn as I do Netflix - around 30 minutes per day on average. I enjoy it, it's very relaxing and pleasureful. I'm in a committed long-term relationship of 3 years and have had the same habits through other 3 relationships of about the same length. They've all had a full sex life and I enjoy both separately. I…

There's been a bit of research into the destructive aspects of porn watching. Porn has normalized a number of sexual behaviors that were not common in the past. This is especially so for behaviors that are degrading to the woman.

What's interesting about your comment though is that you accuse OP of over generalization whilst using your singular anecdotal experience in what I think can best be described as a example of under generalization.

Re: Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people: study (2014)

#97

Curious if the study would have the same results today with the prevalence of Mindfulness meditation. Perhaps it's my predisposition since I've googled for it. But I see advertisements for Calm and Headspace. I think even on TV. I see "Mindfulness" centers, physical places to take classes and meditate. A whole commercial market has taken hold of this new interest of fighting back the confusion of modern life. My trou…

As someone that has regularly meditated for years now, I still wouldn’t say sitting alone with nothing to do is an enjoyable experience. You can turn it into an opportunity for meditation or other types of deep thinking, but that’s more like “work” than anything else.

Aim to get into a jhana, it’s a real state of being and quite wonderful.

Re: Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people: study (2014)

#98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I for one would love to be a bohemian layabout all day doing nothing. Like a cat staring out a window listlessly wasting the clock.

There's a reason humans have conquered the world and cats are our pets.

In their wisdom, they decided to leave the conquest to these curious bipeds, so they could relax in the sun and watch time drift by…

Re: Doing something is better than doing nothing for most people: study (2014)

#100

"All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone." - Blaise Pascal https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/blaise_pascal_133380

"There are two types of quotable quotes, those that deal in absolutes, and those that divide people into two groups."
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