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So you wanna de-bog yourself

experimental-history.com

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Re: So you wanna de-bog yourself

#81

Post by mastazi »

Wow this passage

> Terrible situations, once exited, often become funny stories or proud memories. Mediocre situations, long languished in, simply become Lost Years—boring to both live through and talk about, like you're sitting in a waiting room with no cell reception, no wifi, and no good magazines, waiting for someone to come in and tell you it's time to start living.

It really resonates with me. During my life it did happen a couple times that I found myself "stuck in mediocrity" as the OP puts it. "Waiting for someone to come in and tell you it's time to start living" is a great analogy of how it feels when you finally realise it's time for a change

Re: So you wanna de-bog yourself

#82

Post by datascienced »

Best thing I have read, probably for years (outside of books). The insight here is brilliant. It doesn’t necessary help you get out of the bogs really, but for that a therapist might help. The lede is “brushing your teeth”. So much of life working depends on varieties of this.

Re: So you wanna de-bog yourself

#83

Post by rzzzt »

PaulHoule wrote: post #50
swatcoder wrote: post #37

Ironically, the root of most "bogging" is thinking too much instead of just doing things that need doing or that ripely present themselves. The author has reflected so much that they've created a bespoke system of abstract beliefs with catchy names and various example cases that they can summarize into a 5000 word essay and probably even extend into a book. For a writer, that's a sneaky but effective way to do their…

It’s hypnotic writing in the style of Yudkowsky, Ron Hubbard or supplement scam videos on YouTube. On one hand it is pretending to be thinking rationally about things but with a heavy dose of fantasy mixed in that can put readers in a muddled mental state. They drone on and on and on so that you either give up reading it or go into a trance.

Supplement videos never get to the (or any) point though - you can watch it for hours for amusement or just look up the company to see what they are selling. It's like that infinite GIF of a truck heading towards the security pillar, shown from all camera angles.

Re: So you wanna de-bog yourself

#84

Post by kirso »

thyrox wrote: post #36
ketzo wrote: post #12

I really, really hate how many of my problems are toothbrushing problems. I know I just need to get over it and start brushing, but... ugh. Anyway, can't recommend Adam's writing enough. Subscribed after his second post and have never regretted it. If you liked this, you should also read "You can't reach the brain through the ears", an excellent piece about failing to communicate. https://www.experimental-history.com…

Thanks for sharing this link. My god there is something about this writing style that's just incredibly entertaining to read. Most of the time I get so bored reading such long articles, like the New Yorker ugh. But this is the first time I've enjoyed such a lengthy read! I hope I can decrypt what the author is doing to make reading such fun.

Probably because the author is not trying to appeal to a corporate organization but just writing in his own tone of voice.

Re: So you wanna de-bog yourself

#85

Post by kirso »

morsch wrote: post #2

Life advice, unfortunately. Not an actual explanation of how to escape a bog.

There is no need for a practical answer, because it has been answered 1000 times.

The reason why people are stuck in the bog is pretty much fear. The fear of being rejected, accepted, sharing publicly (aka being judged).

Telling people to "unfear" themselves is impossible, because its not the same as learning a skill. It takes years of unbundling your behavior, therapy and doing pretty much the opposite of what you are doing now.

Re: So you wanna de-bog yourself

#86

Post by falcor84 »

BlueTemplar wrote: post #22
pksebben wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For sure, but throw me a rope here, it doesn't help the more immediate concern of this bog I'm stuck in.

You could try pulling harder on your hair. (Sorry not sorry.)

Or even better, try pulling on your bootstraps if you have them.

Re: So you wanna de-bog yourself

#88

Post by greenhearth »

I'm sorry but the article employs the "Star Trek" method of wrapping complex phenomena into simple metaphors ("explosive decompression is like putting too much air into a balloon") But any truthful explanations of well known behavior, like self-sabotage for example, do not manifest. I'd rather see some guesses at an evolutionary cause of such things than attempts at poetry. It also seems like a cold reading with a cutesy innocence that belies feelings of superiority of having figured it all out. I think the writer is very talented though, so maybe something great will develop.

Re: So you wanna de-bog yourself

#89

Post by CRConrad »

thyrox wrote: post #36
ketzo wrote: post #12

I really, really hate how many of my problems are toothbrushing problems. I know I just need to get over it and start brushing, but... ugh. Anyway, can't recommend Adam's writing enough. Subscribed after his second post and have never regretted it. If you liked this, you should also read "You can't reach the brain through the ears", an excellent piece about failing to communicate. https://www.experimental-history.com…

Thanks for sharing this link. My god there is something about this writing style that's just incredibly entertaining to read. Most of the time I get so bored reading such long articles, like the New Yorker ugh. But this is the first time I've enjoyed such a lengthy read! I hope I can decrypt what the author is doing to make reading such fun.

> Most of the time I get so bored reading such long articles, like the New Yorker ugh.

I must be boring AF; I usually like the New Yorker's articles.

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