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> Not tracking your bad behavior doesn't make it go away. It just makes you ignorant. In some sense, ignorance can be bliss, which I think the article hints at
by ovao 8y ago
> Not tracking your bad behavior doesn't make it go away. It just makes you ignorant.
In some sense, ignorance can be bliss, which I think the article hints at. I used to diligently track my workouts, for example, seeking clear and measurable improvement over time. If I could knock out 30 consecutive chin-ups in one session, I expected >= 30 consecutive pull-ups in the next. What I failed to realize is that progress isn't actually made by means of observed improvement -- progress is actually significantly more subtle. And, because it's deeply psychological...fuzzy.
At 32 years of age, I've realized that "bad behavior" is symptomatic of the mindset of self, and sometimes necessary. Sometimes my workouts will go very poorly, for example. The quantified self laments those workouts, but the self-accepting self accepts those poorer workouts as an inevitability. Sometimes you simply cannot give it 100%; sometimes you'll fail.
Subjective satisfaction, as you put it, is the key to happiness. Do better than you expect in the aggregate and largely ignore the specifics. The specifics only bog you down.
- fao_ 8y ago> At 32 years of age, I've realized that "bad behavior" is symptomatic of the mindset of self, and sometimes necessary. Sometimes my workouts will go very poorly, for example. The quantified self laments those workouts, but the self-accepting self accepts those poorer workouts as an inevitability. Sometimes you simply cannot give it 100%; sometimes you'll fail. Not to mention, that it's statistically impossible for you to infinitely improve in every workout. There are going to be good days and bad days, and if your method of assessing metrics do not take those into account, then the method is worthless. There was a good article about relationships advice for people who hyperfocus on things, and I think it's pertinent here. That basically, just because things have levelled out or not improved, or just because there has been a momentary dip, doesn't mean that that is a negative thing. Any complex system, whether it be the human body, interpersonal relations, or even just water has ups and downs. Sometimes hyperfocusing on those downs, or predicting off those dips can lead you to believe things that are false. Sometimes to get correct information you have to zoom out a little. Not to mention, that expecting 100% of yourself constantly is a surefire way to burn out.