My main state of mind these days is either “busy” or “at a loose end.”
I spent much of my youth furiously, self-righteously, pursuing new information and ideas, in and outside my area of interest. I advocated this for all.
These days I feel like I’ve done that and deserve a rest. Being deliberately dull also infuriates the teenagers, which is most entertaining. (You know all those annoying fuddy-duddy old people things your parents did? They were trolling you.) Quite a lot of stuff doesn’t actually interest me personally, and pursuing it just because it’s there is not preferable to doing nothing. Anything new demanding my interest has to show why I should be personally, subjectively interested.
I think I’m getting bored of late, though. The hard part is finding an area of interest that I’m actually that interested in, and not just more time-filling (“like watching cable, only with fewer hair replacement infomercials”[1]).
So. Suggestions on finding things that I (or, more generally, any given person) would find actually interesting?
[1] Dunn, Sarah. The Official Slacker Handbook. Abacus, 1994. ISBN 0-349-10591-X
Writing down your goals. Where do you hope to be in 10 and 20 years? How certain are you of being there? What unknowns are there, that might interfere?
Choose one or two people who play an important role in your life, such as family members. For each one, list the most important things you think you know about them, how you think you know those things, and what the gaps in your knowledge are.
Attempt an ad hominem attack on your own views, along the lines of Nick Bostrom’s suggestion to Write your hypothetical apostacy. Given the causal process that formed your views, how reliable are those views, really?
Spend time with the best thinkers, smartest folks, or most competent folks you can. See what they read, how they think, what they do, and, especially, where they think you’re stuck. Try their advice or habits.
My main state of mind these days is either “busy” or “at a loose end.”
I spent much of my youth furiously, self-righteously, pursuing new information and ideas, in and outside my area of interest. I advocated this for all.
These days I feel like I’ve done that and deserve a rest. Being deliberately dull also infuriates the teenagers, which is most entertaining. (You know all those annoying fuddy-duddy old people things your parents did? They were trolling you.) Quite a lot of stuff doesn’t actually interest me personally, and pursuing it just because it’s there is not preferable to doing nothing. Anything new demanding my interest has to show why I should be personally, subjectively interested.
I think I’m getting bored of late, though. The hard part is finding an area of interest that I’m actually that interested in, and not just more time-filling (“like watching cable, only with fewer hair replacement infomercials”[1]).
So. Suggestions on finding things that I (or, more generally, any given person) would find actually interesting?
[1] Dunn, Sarah. The Official Slacker Handbook. Abacus, 1994. ISBN 0-349-10591-X
Perhaps try:
Writing down your goals. Where do you hope to be in 10 and 20 years? How certain are you of being there? What unknowns are there, that might interfere?
Choose one or two people who play an important role in your life, such as family members. For each one, list the most important things you think you know about them, how you think you know those things, and what the gaps in your knowledge are.
Attempt an ad hominem attack on your own views, along the lines of Nick Bostrom’s suggestion to Write your hypothetical apostacy. Given the causal process that formed your views, how reliable are those views, really?
Spend time with the best thinkers, smartest folks, or most competent folks you can. See what they read, how they think, what they do, and, especially, where they think you’re stuck. Try their advice or habits.