We don’t understand ourselves. People tell themselves they want success, but they slack off anyway — I’m no exception. Even those who don’t slack off much rarely end up single-mindedly pursuing a rational goal; they may work hard but mentally they fall into a routine, not thinking much about whether the effort they spend is being spent in the right place. I think it’s partly a matter of bumping against hard mental limits we never quite feel because they are bundled in cotton; if we push too hard, our minds push back in ways we don’t understand and may handle poorly but that we cannot simply ignore and overcome indefinitely. The moments of peak performance are made possible by the moments of slacking off.
The people who talk about unlocking the mind’s vast hidden potential are salesmen who show no sign of being the astonishing geniuses they pretend to be. Meanwhile, the actual geniuses generally don’t espouse any grand theories of self-improvement. It’s almost as if the odds are not good that someone will discover a new and vastly more effective way of thinking after billions of people tried over millennia. There is a technique called “science” that I have heard good things about, but not much since then.
I’ve heard of Science! Mostly good things, too. But from what I understand, it’s not actually very useful as a way of thinking- what I’ve read indicates it’s more limited, really only suited as a way of interpreting perceptions.
I’ve heard of other interesting techniques, though- there’s one that sounds very promising that they’re calling “logic”. There’s some concern over its ability to deliver consistent results, though.
February 19, 2014
Hooked on life. ☺
February 19, 2014
Wow, I sure am glad I’ve never had to worry about anyone trying to tempt me by offering success!
I do need to work on not being such a sucker for people threatening failure, though.
February 20, 2014
You really stuck the boot in at the end.
February 20, 2014
They’re talking about watching television programs on Netflix, aren’t they?
February 20, 2014
I, too, find it difficult to distinguish between moral ambiguity and talcum powder.
February 21, 2014
Thirty years clean.
February 21, 2014
We don’t understand ourselves. People tell themselves they want success, but they slack off anyway — I’m no exception. Even those who don’t slack off much rarely end up single-mindedly pursuing a rational goal; they may work hard but mentally they fall into a routine, not thinking much about whether the effort they spend is being spent in the right place. I think it’s partly a matter of bumping against hard mental limits we never quite feel because they are bundled in cotton; if we push too hard, our minds push back in ways we don’t understand and may handle poorly but that we cannot simply ignore and overcome indefinitely. The moments of peak performance are made possible by the moments of slacking off.
The people who talk about unlocking the mind’s vast hidden potential are salesmen who show no sign of being the astonishing geniuses they pretend to be. Meanwhile, the actual geniuses generally don’t espouse any grand theories of self-improvement. It’s almost as if the odds are not good that someone will discover a new and vastly more effective way of thinking after billions of people tried over millennia. There is a technique called “science” that I have heard good things about, but not much since then.
February 22, 2014
I’ve heard of Science! Mostly good things, too. But from what I understand, it’s not actually very useful as a way of thinking- what I’ve read indicates it’s more limited, really only suited as a way of interpreting perceptions.
I’ve heard of other interesting techniques, though- there’s one that sounds very promising that they’re calling “logic”. There’s some concern over its ability to deliver consistent results, though.