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By the way, I say this as someone who is delighted to attend retreats that start every morning with a chanted invocation to the goddess of compassion along with

by mbrock 11y ago

By the way, I say this as someone who is delighted to attend retreats that start every morning with a chanted invocation to the goddess of compassion along with the ritualized beating of a large fish-shaped drum, and two hours of sitting meditation before breakfast. Religious gatherings are cool. Working in a "spiritual" environment is nice. On such retreats I especially like the part where you work quietly, together, without talking... and I like how there are formal breaks for tea. I definitely think workplaces can take inspiration from monastic communities. But this just seems awkward. I realize I'm just talking about a little tip from whoever put up the website. I'd rather watch a video of a kitten in a box or something. Kittens are infinite too!

dubcanada 11y ago
You're not really talking about "Religious gatherings" you are talking about a specific "Religions, gathering". There are some very nice religious fuelled gatherings that lead to nice things like taking breaks, working quietly and all that other stuff. There are also some that don't.
fit2rule 11y ago
It seems like you'd be awkward because, well .. don't take this the wrong way .. you're making it more awkward than it is. A moment of mindfulness isn't just some human activity relegated to religious association; we all do it, even the most atheistic and scientific-minded people will pause at the beginning of a group activity to have a moment before proceeding. All this copy for Hoffice is doing, is expressing it in their own language. Is this something you'd really discriminate against the Hoffice participants for doing? Then for sure, its a good thing you've raised the issue. My advice: Inform the hosts in advance if you have zero tolerance for cultural interaction.
- mbrock 11y ago
  Sure. Although I'm specifically talking about sitting together listening to meditation talks, for example one about "being infinity." That sounds kind of trippy, and not like something I'd normally tune into right before going to work, but that's just my preference. Maybe it's just that I'm an awkward guy? A bunch of people upvoted my comment, seemingly in agreement, so presumably at least some subset of the Hacker News community is awkward in this way. I did sort of get the feeling that the Hoffice "spirit" catered to a type of extraversion that I don't have, for example I stay away from anything that involves "fun group activities" and massages from strangers. I still like to hang around people, drink coffee, talk about stuff, work. So it's not that I have "zero tolerance for cultural interaction."

by mbrock 11y ago

dubcanada 11y ago

You're not really talking about "Religious gatherings" you are talking about a specific "Religions, gathering". There are some very nice religious fuelled gatherings that lead to nice things like taking breaks, working quietly and all that other stuff. There are also some that don't.

fit2rule 11y ago

It seems like you'd be awkward because, well .. don't take this the wrong way .. you're making it more awkward than it is. A moment of mindfulness isn't just some human activity relegated to religious association; we all do it, even the most atheistic and scientific-minded people will pause at the beginning of a group activity to have a moment before proceeding. All this copy for Hoffice is doing, is expressing it in their own language. Is this something you'd really discriminate against the Hoffice participants for doing? Then for sure, its a good thing you've raised the issue. My advice: Inform the hosts in advance if you have zero tolerance for cultural interaction.

mbrock 11y ago
Sure. Although I'm specifically talking about sitting together listening to meditation talks, for example one about "being infinity." That sounds kind of trippy, and not like something I'd normally tune into right before going to work, but that's just my preference. Maybe it's just that I'm an awkward guy? A bunch of people upvoted my comment, seemingly in agreement, so presumably at least some subset of the Hacker News community is awkward in this way. I did sort of get the feeling that the Hoffice "spirit" catered to a type of extraversion that I don't have, for example I stay away from anything that involves "fun group activities" and massages from strangers. I still like to hang around people, drink coffee, talk about stuff, work. So it's not that I have "zero tolerance for cultural interaction."