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Dopamine Fasting

nytimes.com

81–90 of 137 posts

Re: Dopamine Fasting

#81
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do intense physical exercise, that’s the missing link in your plan. You’ve got basically all the other key parts in place.

Some martial art (a real one) like muay-thai (no need for fights) works really good for this.

Martial arts are really hard to get into as a beginner. I'm physically fit and fairly flexible, but the dogmatism of many martial arts and the high barrier to entry (extreme strength and flexibility seem to be required even to start) made me really uncomfortable with a wide variety of martial arts. I've tried aikido, capoeira, kung fu muay-thai, boxing — but they all seemed to required beginners to immediately be able to do side-splits, acrobatic flips (I'm in NYC, so maybe the quality of beginners was much higher).

I'd recommend yoga in combination with weightlifting or HIIT training.

Re: Dopamine Fasting

#82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some martial art (a real one) like muay-thai (no need for fights) works really good for this.

Martial arts are really hard to get into as a beginner. I'm physically fit and fairly flexible, but the dogmatism of many martial arts and the high barrier to entry (extreme strength and flexibility seem to be required even to start) made me really uncomfortable with a wide variety of martial arts. I've tried aikido, capoeira, kung fu muay-thai, boxing — but they all seemed to required beginners to immediately be abl…

It's not a gatekeep. It's just easier to do in group by following the teacher/group.

The "have to be fit to join" is a myth. You can go whatever your fit/fat levels are.

The mindset is "do what you can" and improve step by step.

Re: Dopamine Fasting

#83
post #68

Terribly biased hit piece on Silicon Valley, here is my rebuttal: https://medium.com/@DrSepah/why-the-media-lies-to-you-about-...

Just FYI, mocking the term "Toxic Masculinity" shows you either don't understand what it refers to or think those things are good, either of which makes me much less interested in anything else you might have to say because it sets a bad precedent. Toxic Masculinity does not mean being male is toxic (i.e. harmful). It refers to specific ideas about what it means to be male or how men should act that are toxic. Like n…

From you explanation, “toxic masculinity” sounds like a label for being overly “reserved”, “self reliant”, and “hiding weaknesses”.

If it is the case, it looks like an attempt by some groups to shame and to dictate men, who value those qualities, that they must adopt the views of those groups on the male character and behaviour - seen, as usually, as only acceptable and morally superior.

I thought toxic masculinity is more about seeing men superior to women, telling sexist jokes and remarks, expressing an explicit sexual interest to female colleagues, etc. Anyway, it is a misleading and confusing term in general.

Re: Dopamine Fasting

#85
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes they are violating the recommendation of Dr. Sepah's proposal and make it into a purity trip, a meditation retreat in daily life. "You don't need to “do nothing” or meditate during a dopamine fast (unless you’d like to). Just engage in regular activities that reflect your values: - Health-Promoting (exercise, cooking) - Leading (helping, serving others) - Relating (talking, bonding over activities) - Learning (re…

Lol I have a new food fast, but you don't have to stop eating. You can: * eat your normal breakfast while fasting from food * engage in your normal lunch routines with friends while fasting from food * have a hearty, family style dinner with your loved ones while fasting from food. Why does this person require abuse of the term "fast"? Fast means to abstain, but the entire list includes point for point the opposite o…

Perhaps dieting would be a better term - it's most similar to a whole foods/avoid simple carbs diet.

Re: Dopamine Fasting

#86
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yes they are violating the recommendation of Dr. Sepah's proposal and make it into a purity trip, a meditation retreat in daily life. "You don't need to “do nothing” or meditate during a dopamine fast (unless you’d like to). Just engage in regular activities that reflect your values: - Health-Promoting (exercise, cooking) - Leading (helping, serving others) - Relating (talking, bonding over activities) - Learning (re…

Lol I have a new food fast, but you don't have to stop eating. You can: * eat your normal breakfast while fasting from food * engage in your normal lunch routines with friends while fasting from food * have a hearty, family style dinner with your loved ones while fasting from food. Why does this person require abuse of the term "fast"? Fast means to abstain, but the entire list includes point for point the opposite o…

Yeah, this whole notion of a "fast" seems like it's based on the usual one-dimensional view of dopamine as synonymous with excitement and pleasure. There's a lot of evidence that dopamine is far more subtle than that; it seems to play a huge role in anticipation and sensory gating, for example.

Re: Dopamine Fasting

#87
post #69

> The other day, Mr. Sinka ran into an old friend but had to tell her they could not continue speaking. > “I hadn’t seen her in six months, and it was extraordinarily exciting, super-stimulating, and I could feel how excited I was,” he said. “So I had to cut it off and I just said, ‘Listen, it’s not you, it’s me, doing this dopamine fast.’” If this were on HBO's Silicon Valley, we would dismiss it as too over-the-top…

I wouldn't be able to hold back laughter if I heard this. It seems like something a parody of hipsters would say.

"My life is too good, I need to make it worse" but still be as self centered as possible.

God forbid someone does difficult volunteer work instead of this "dopamine fast".

Re: Dopamine Fasting

#89
post #84

isn't this just the Straight Edge thing that was popular in the 90s? There's a whole subculture for it.

Straight Edge people don't use drugs or drink, and some abstain from sex. I've also met a few that would instead get their rush from fighting non-edge people. Just like the people in the article, basing your entire personality around abstinence makes a person a 1-dimensional asshole.

Re: Dopamine Fasting

#90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some martial art (a real one) like muay-thai (no need for fights) works really good for this.

Martial arts are really hard to get into as a beginner. I'm physically fit and fairly flexible, but the dogmatism of many martial arts and the high barrier to entry (extreme strength and flexibility seem to be required even to start) made me really uncomfortable with a wide variety of martial arts. I've tried aikido, capoeira, kung fu muay-thai, boxing — but they all seemed to required beginners to immediately be abl…

BJJ could be one to try if you have patience left?
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