The First World's Biggest Addiction
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The First World's Biggest Addiction
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Re: The First World's Biggest Addiction
#2Good read. Except I drink coffee in the morning so I can look at what I've programmed in the afternoon and not wonder what the heck I was doing. i.e. Not to avoid an 'uncomfortable' state of mind, just to increase performance. Maybe that's just the same thing though? idk.
Re: The First World's Biggest Addiction
#3Worth reading to the end. It's not just about coffee, but really about dependence on things which distract us from uncomfortable moments, and why it might be worth trying to reduce dependence on these things.
Re: The First World's Biggest Addiction
#4Good read. Except I drink coffee in the morning so I can look at what I've programmed in the afternoon and not wonder what the heck I was doing. i.e. Not to avoid an 'uncomfortable' state of mind, just to increase performance. Maybe that's just the same thing though? idk.
I agree, morning coffee doesn't seem to apply here. Smoking would be a better example.
Re: The First World's Biggest Addiction
#5Good read. Except I drink coffee in the morning so I can look at what I've programmed in the afternoon and not wonder what the heck I was doing. i.e. Not to avoid an 'uncomfortable' state of mind, just to increase performance. Maybe that's just the same thing though? idk.
I agree, morning coffee doesn't seem to apply here. Smoking would be a better example.
Strangely enough I started to feel the same with morning tea, until I quit having any. Now I function "normally" even in the morning and can take a "boost"(hardly noticeable) if needed as long as it's not more than a few times per week or so.
It still sucks having nothing to sip on though. Taking a glass of water instead helps this somewhat.
Re: The First World's Biggest Addiction
#6Worth reading to the end. It's not just about coffee, but really about dependence on things which distract us from uncomfortable moments, and why it might be worth trying to reduce dependence on these things.
"uncomfortable moments" will never end.
Then is it bad for some people to live in constant avoidance state? Alcoholism until death, anti-depressants until you stop breathing or jump off the building.
Facing uncomfortable is best case for me also, it brings more rewards. But should I fight for someone who is constantly avoiding uncomfortable moments.
Should I look at fellow human being and tell him that this is bad, this will get you nowhere?
Re: The First World's Biggest Addiction
#7Consuming caffeine reduces my ability to make uncomfortable decisions, and I use it to numb myself from the consequences. I see that pattern in other people too.
As long as I am in a productive flow, caffeine is not a problem.
Re: The First World's Biggest Addiction
#8Worth reading to the end. It's not just about coffee, but really about dependence on things which distract us from uncomfortable moments, and why it might be worth trying to reduce dependence on these things.
The number of addictive occupations we've invented for ourselves seems to grow exponentially at the moment; beyond drugs and physical addiction we have Facebook, games from WoW to FarmVille, 24-hour news reporting or just owning a smartphone which you have to check every 2 minutes.
Although we tend to minimize the topic, reducing it to a minority with "addictive personalities" I believe managing our addictions and learning how to break habits will become a huge topic for us in the next 10 years
Re: The First World's Biggest Addiction
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree, morning coffee doesn't seem to apply here. Smoking would be a better example.
Strangely enough I started to feel the same with morning tea, until I quit having any. Now I function "normally" even in the morning and can take a "boost"(hardly noticeable) if needed as long as it's not more than a few times per week or so. It still sucks having nothing to sip on though. Taking a glass of water instead helps this somewhat.
There is conflicting evidence the enhancing powers of coffee, but it seems like it isn't a cognitive enhancer for the kind of activities we're talking about here, and might even be detrimental (tasks that depend on working memory), except maybe for 'suboptimal alertness conditions'. So you're probably better off overall getting a good night sleep and saving coffee for those times when you can't. -Hi, my name is cottonseed, and I'm a coffee addict.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20182035 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_caffeine_on_memory
Re: The First World's Biggest Addiction
#10Good read. Except I drink coffee in the morning so I can look at what I've programmed in the afternoon and not wonder what the heck I was doing. i.e. Not to avoid an 'uncomfortable' state of mind, just to increase performance. Maybe that's just the same thing though? idk.
I agree, morning coffee doesn't seem to apply here. Smoking would be a better example.
Everything applies, according to the article and the linked article too.
But as usual, there's no sense on just getting rid of everything that defines humans:
You might be in a small fishing boat, waiting for something to happen, it is cold, why not take some coffee out of the termo, why not have a cig, just to feel a bit like home, and wander on the surroundings?