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Hello, me. It's been a while

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Re: Hello, me. It's been a while

#181

Post by LiteUser »

This hits home so hard (did I write this?). I'm curious how many are afflicted with this. I don't hear enough people talk about the powerful addiction of "podcasts + headphones". There is an endless amount of content, so if you're not careful, the majority of the voices in your head will not be your own.

This happened to me. I justified it because "I was learning", and "it's like listening to the radio, but better", or "this content is good for me", but when every moment alone is filled with someone else's words and thoughts, you stop having any of your own.

Re: Hello, me. It's been a while

#182

Post by JKCalhoun »

bambax wrote: post #80

> Recently, as I reached for the play button out of habit, I stopped. I thought: what if I just do this chore in silence today? It seems most people today have headphones on all the time. I don't understand it. I'm not sure, but it would seem people hate their own voice? I just love silence. I can't work in anything but complete silence. In open spaces I wear earplugs. (If I'm not wearing earplugs it means I'm not do…

For one: headphones are a nonstarter for me. Even earbuds… I don't want anything attached to, hanging off of me. Speakers only.

But for me it's music playing in the background. Podcasts I have to listen to, background music just… goes—my thoughts are free to wander.

I find that when the music is not on, I start up a song in my head—and usually an annoying one for some reason—and it will be on an endless loop until I put on something external.

Re: Hello, me. It's been a while

#183

Post by sublinear »

D-Machine wrote: post #164
sublinear wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The journaling seems like the right direction, but it's still too passive. If there are three mental modes, two out of three are passive. Let's call this third mode "creative mode". Instead of consuming or meditating, do something else offline that requires developing a skill with your undivided attention. Even when you're inspired, the interpretation is still your own. There's no way it could ever feel like wasted t…

There is still IMO a way that "creative mode" can be wasted time, and that is when it is being used as a distraction from proper reflection / introspection. The pursuit of creativity / learning can be its own unhealthy obsession too. Your ending paragraph: "With enough experience, your own unique ideas will dominate your mind. That's when you finally feel in control." also reads as something that could probably also…

> you actually do often want other people's ideas to dominate the mind

I don't think this tug of war is necessary. You do, however, make a great point about people who are stressed out.

I wouldn't turn to "creative mode" as a stress management technique. Stress can ruin anything.

The thought has crossed my mind before that the lies and manipulation of a narcissist are a waste of talent.

Re: Hello, me. It's been a while

#184

Post by mattrighetti »

LiteUser wrote: post #181

This hits home so hard (did I write this?). I'm curious how many are afflicted with this. I don't hear enough people talk about the powerful addiction of "podcasts + headphones". There is an endless amount of content, so if you're not careful, the majority of the voices in your head will not be your own. This happened to me. I justified it because "I was learning", and "it's like listening to the radio, but better",…

> I don't hear enough people talk about the powerful addiction of "podcasts + headphones"

I have headphones on everywhere I go. If I’m outside I have them on, while I’m doing work in the office I have them on, when I’m doing sport I have them on. When I don’t have them on, I’m usually at home and I’m playing stuff via speakers.

I’m not playing stuff only when I’m out with friends, of course.

To be honest I think it’s one of the reasons why I feel very good and comfortable being on my own alone. But I definitely agree that there might be some kind of addiction in all of this.

> but when every moment alone is filled with someone else's words and thoughts, you stop having any of your own

I don’t necessarily agree with this, especially because I think about the thing that is being discussed and agree/disagree for different reasons. I might argue that podcast give you a reason to think about “unusual” things sometimes?

Re: Hello, me. It's been a while

#185

Post by testing22321 »

mattrighetti wrote: post #184
LiteUser wrote: post #181

This hits home so hard (did I write this?). I'm curious how many are afflicted with this. I don't hear enough people talk about the powerful addiction of "podcasts + headphones". There is an endless amount of content, so if you're not careful, the majority of the voices in your head will not be your own. This happened to me. I justified it because "I was learning", and "it's like listening to the radio, but better",…

> I don't hear enough people talk about the powerful addiction of "podcasts + headphones" I have headphones on everywhere I go. If I’m outside I have them on, while I’m doing work in the office I have them on, when I’m doing sport I have them on. When I don’t have them on, I’m usually at home and I’m playing stuff via speakers. I’m not playing stuff only when I’m out with friends, of course. To be honest I think it’s…

> I have headphones on everywhere I go. If I’m outside I have them on, while I’m doing work in the office I have them on, when I’m doing sport I have them on

Back in about 2007 I realized I was doing this. At the gym, snowboarding, walking to work, at the supermarket.

I realized it closed me off from meeting new people and living in the now. Music encouraged me to drift away and think about some other time in my life when I saw that band, or was at a great party or something.

So I put the iPod away and have never done it since. I don’t own headphones now, have not done for 20 years. Really happy I made the correction not to get sucked in.

Re: Hello, me. It's been a while

#186

Post by saaspirant »

conception wrote: post #159
jasode wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>multitasking for a long time is not a free lunch The multitasking I was talking about was combining a mindless repetitive task that has low cognitive demands such as walking on a treadmill, yardwork raking leaves, driving on non-descript boring roads ... with listening to a podcast about whatever topics are interesting. The mind is engaged while the hands and feet doing the work are on autopilot. In those cases, it…

It’s also under appreciated that its good to have the brain be bored and doing nothing. While you are being curious you aren’t thinking or contemplating or creating or imagining, just consuming that dopamine sink.

Yeah. We have limited capacity to use every day. So I try just keep the brain away from stimulation as much as I can and use it only on useful stuff.

Re: Hello, me. It's been a while

#187

Post by monknomo »

ramijames wrote: post #175
bambax wrote: post #80

> Recently, as I reached for the play button out of habit, I stopped. I thought: what if I just do this chore in silence today? It seems most people today have headphones on all the time. I don't understand it. I'm not sure, but it would seem people hate their own voice? I just love silence. I can't work in anything but complete silence. In open spaces I wear earplugs. (If I'm not wearing earplugs it means I'm not do…

For me, my life has gotten so stressful and awful, I just need to get away from my anxiety and the best way is through distraction. Music, podcasts, and audio books help me maintain some semblance of normalcy. I can't even fall asleep without some distraction. I'll stay up all night stressing about not being able to find work, my kid's futures, my piling up of bills, inflation, ever expanding war, etc.

have you considered seeking treatment? I personally have had some spells like you are describing, and generally white knuckled through. I tried medication for the last one, and I'll be darned if it didn't work pretty well.

Re: Hello, me. It's been a while

#188

Post by jdkdjckwjd »

bambax wrote: post #80

> Recently, as I reached for the play button out of habit, I stopped. I thought: what if I just do this chore in silence today? It seems most people today have headphones on all the time. I don't understand it. I'm not sure, but it would seem people hate their own voice? I just love silence. I can't work in anything but complete silence. In open spaces I wear earplugs. (If I'm not wearing earplugs it means I'm not do…

You sound way too judgemental and proud of being ok with silence (?). I mean, what?

> I don't understand it. I'm not sure, but it would seem people hate their own voice?

No, some people just like to do things listening to music or similar things.

Re: Hello, me. It's been a while

#189

Post by jdkdjckwjd »

zaphar wrote: post #148
rcxdude wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does not being able to stand listening to your own thoughts mean, to you? This feels like a very 'kids these days' comment but I don't feel like I actually understand what people are talking about when they say this. For me music helps me concentrate with some tasks (especially in a more noisy environment where there are more distracting sounds), distracts for others, and for some just makes it a little less bor…

Introspection is the act of looking inward to examine your own thoughts, feelings, and motives. It is a personal process of self-reflection that helps you understand why you act and feel the way you do. Pretty much everyone can benefit with some time for introspection. This is considerably easier to do if you have silence and boredom. Music, podcasts, television all hinder the practice of introspection. It takes prac…

> Music, podcasts, television all hinder the practice of introspection.

For you. It hinders the process for you. Some people think better when not in complete silence.

Anyone that tries to speak broadly and paint everyone with the same brush when talking about neurological phenomena is clearly completely out of touch with the subject. The mind is a wonderfully complex and wholly unique thing. What works for one might not work for another.

Re: Hello, me. It's been a while

#190

Post by ramijames »

monknomo wrote: post #187
ramijames wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, my life has gotten so stressful and awful, I just need to get away from my anxiety and the best way is through distraction. Music, podcasts, and audio books help me maintain some semblance of normalcy. I can't even fall asleep without some distraction. I'll stay up all night stressing about not being able to find work, my kid's futures, my piling up of bills, inflation, ever expanding war, etc.

have you considered seeking treatment? I personally have had some spells like you are describing, and generally white knuckled through. I tried medication for the last one, and I'll be darned if it didn't work pretty well.

No job, no money, no healthcare.
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