Doing... nothing!?

[skakos]

People, and especially men, hate being alone with their thoughts so much that they’d rather be in pain. In a study published in Science on the ability of people to let their minds “wander” — that is, for them to sit and do nothing but think — researchers found that about a quarter of women and two-thirds of men chose electric shocks over their own company.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-y ... -thoughts/

Staying alone with your self is hard.
Most people try to fill in their time with activities, so that they avoid any unpleasant encounters with their own... thoughts.
We live in a society which promotes doing things rather than just... wandering.
We have lost our connection to the cosmos.
We have lost our connections with our self.
Try to sit alone and do nothing.
And you will see that it is only then that you actually do something...

What do you think? Do you stay alone with your thoughts at all? Or do you feel the need to "do something" all the time?

[WanderingLands]

People, and especially men, hate being alone with their thoughts so much that they’d rather be in pain. In a study published in Science on the ability of people to let their minds “wander” — that is, for them to sit and do nothing but think — researchers found that about a quarter of women and two-thirds of men chose electric shocks over their own company.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-y ... -thoughts/

Staying alone with your self is hard.
Most people try to fill in their time with activities, so that they avoid any unpleasant encounters with their own... thoughts.
We live in a society which promotes doing things rather than just... wandering.
We have lost our connection to the cosmos.
We have lost our connections with our self.
Try to sit alone and do nothing.
And you will see that it is only then that you actually do something...

What do you think? Do you stay alone with your thoughts at all? Or do you feel the need to "do something" all the time?

For me, personally, I'm quite a bit the introvert, although not as so socially alienated as might be a few years ago. At times, I get lonely as I don't really hang out with friends that much, but I can pretty much handle being alone with my thoughts. If anything, that's what a "philosopher" does, right?

[Blaggard]

People hate to be alone to the point it breeds ennui, people rather love it to some extent, which is dependent on personality. Autistics like it more than the naturally gergarious.

I'd say if that article is remotely in any way scientific, and I somehow doubt it is. Then most men are Tardlords.

Psychology it's science lite lets face it. We done some shit we have no idea what it means, or even the first understanding of the human mind and never have, but we can be sure we done some shit, which is like nice. All this says is that in most cases the mind will crave stimulus if bored to distraction, fuck me have you told anyone about that shit, because I am sure everyone needs to know that people need distractions when bored, even though they already knew that. Incredible Nobel prize is in the post.

being alone is hard if you are scared of your thoughts, or troubled by anything about yourself or the way you tend to think when bored or alone- it's rather comforting if like me you kinda like the mad little man who lives in your mind, and rather look forward to hearing what that lunatic is going to come up with next. So suffice to say learn to be at peace with your mind, and then when it is at war with you you can welcome it and make it a cup of tea. Some people have more to learn than others, that's not your fault. As you get older though you tend to learn coping strategies when the mad little gremlins escape from their mad prison and run all over the asylum of your mind. by which I mean like anything it's a learning curve, some it's a learning mountain climb, others it's a learning stroll but such is life...

[skakos]

being alone is hard if you are scared of your thoughts, or troubled by anything about yourself or the way you tend to think when bored or alone

This is the main reason. Most people are too afraid to just deal with... themselves.

[HexHammer]

Strange, OP contradicts the notion of women in general being better at socializing thus better at avoiding depression than men.

[Blaggard]

being alone is hard if you are scared of your thoughts, or troubled by anything about yourself or the way you tend to think when bored or alone

This is the main reason. Most people are too afraid to just deal with... themselves.

Quite, its hard too to be honest about yourself. I think we need the comfortable lies we tell ourselves to some extent, it's a fine line though between a white lie that is at the time practical because it gets us through a tough situation, and preposterous self delusions that are not in any way of use, and probably will be resolved for better or worse down the line. If people were honest about themselves all the time, they'd never get out of bed, or probably never make it past 30. Some little lies are useful, we don't want to spend all our time in self analysis all the time and in all situations. Reflection on the past, is likewise a double edged sword if it leads to self reinforcing spiralling into self critical patterns. It's true to say self analysis is a harder subject probably than analysis of others, worth the time but we need to be practical about it. Pobodies nerfect, by they way I think anyone who wears that on a T-shirt should get out more.

Strange, OP contradicts the notion of women in general being better at socializing thus better at avoiding depression than men.

Women have the same level of depression as men do I think. They do tend to have higher EQs though and be more socially adept generally at least.

[skakos]

Strange, OP contradicts the notion of women in general being better at socializing thus better at avoiding depression than men.

I do not even understand what you mean. Care to elaborate?

[thedoc]

People, and especially men, hate being alone with their thoughts so much that they’d rather be in pain. In a study published in Science on the ability of people to let their minds “wander” — that is, for them to sit and do nothing but think — researchers found that about a quarter of women and two-thirds of men chose electric shocks over their own company.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-y ... -thoughts/

Staying alone with your self is hard.
Most people try to fill in their time with activities, so that they avoid any unpleasant encounters with their own... thoughts.
We live in a society which promotes doing things rather than just... wandering.
We have lost our connection to the cosmos.
We have lost our connections with our self.
Try to sit alone and do nothing.
And you will see that it is only then that you actually do something...

What do you think? Do you stay alone with your thoughts at all? Or do you feel the need to "do something" all the time?

From this, I must be the "Odd Man Out" because I have no problem being alone, especially with my own thoughts. Sometimes I think of things profound, sometimes I work out problems or projects that I need to solve. My wife doesn't like the delay, but she's learning to accept it to get a better result. I usually play the piano when I am alone, first because I don't want others to hear me learning a new piece, and second because I can be alone with my focus on the piece I'm playing. Other people listening tend to distract me and I make mistakes.

[thedoc]

I don't know if this counts or not, but there are times when I will sit and wait and do nothing. I buy on EBay, and I'm a sniper, I place my bid in the last few seconds, and if it is an item I want, that hasn't gone too high in bid, I will wait for several minutes watching the clock tick down to the last seconds. I even tell people that I am watching an auction that is closing soon and my family knows to not disturb me till it's over. Peace and quiet, if only for a few minutes.

[skakos]

Peace and quiet is something we all need.

But most of us are AFRAID to actively seek it...

[Bill Wiltrack]

.





.....................................




I have been practicing finding that emptiness, that quiet spot for years now.

I have succeeded in being able to find that spot and to put myself into it.

Nothing that I am actually proud of. It's cost me a-lot. I'm continually, painfully aware of that.

The quiet spot is never that far from me anymore. Always, seemingly just below my surface.



Actually, the emptiness is almost always present with me now. And it's uncomfortable in it's omnipotence. A strange emotion that I can never explain exactly. So many opposing thoughts and emotions present at the same time.Which again...is odd. Almost continually uncomfortable.



.

[bergie15]

I don't know that we can actually do nothing. We are always thinking, and our brains are always working. So we are doing something then.