Slowing down the train in my head
Van Neistat is using podcasts to silence voices in his head.
This is exactly what's happening now; it's why we can't do anything without some sort of noise in the background. It's why we have to watch a TikTok whilst also watching another TikTok.
Smartphones increased our tolerance for dopamine. The dopamine that we receive from good moments in life is no longer enough, at the bare minimum we need the feeling of doing some AND using our phone at the same time.
Now I’m trying really hard to slow down. Pay complete attention. Lately I’ve internalized there’s something so sacred about focus, rather than constantly deliberating between monitor screens and plans and side hustles. Depth rather than breadth. In a world that is increasingly accelerating — social media eyeballs and immediate gratification and a p
... See morein praise of slowing down
I find for myself that my first thought is never my best thought. My first thought is always someone else’s; it’s always what I’ve already heard about the subject, always the conventional wisdom. It’s only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of my mind come into play, that I arrive at an original idea. B... See more
Farnum Street • How to Think: The Skill You've Never Been Taught
... See moreFor this reason I disobey the social pressure to post quickly and regularly, and just post when I’m confident I’ve written something that will add value to my readers’ lives. I’ll gladly publish my take last if it means publishing works that will last. It may not make me as much money, but it does make me rich, because it frees me to be who I want
Reading paper books with a pen puts me into an active engagement with the knowledge in front of me.
Quitting audiobooks. They too easily become consumption as a way of occupying your mind and avoiding deep thought. Not actually reading.