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I mostly rely on digital music in various forms, but there is one advantage to vinyl: it removes choice. It's one of those "paradox of choice" things; the more

I mostly rely on digital music in various forms, but there is one advantage to vinyl: it removes choice. It's one of those "paradox of choice" things; the more decisions you have to make, the less happy you are. When listening to a record, I just have to decide to put the record on, and then all choice is removed from me and I just sit back and enjoy the ride. I don't have to decide whether to skip a track or whether to jump from a playlist to a specific song I just thought about; the "would I rather be doing something else?" part of my brain takes a break.

systemvoltage 6y ago
I always found these artificial constraints weird. So the problem is not with the media but with the brain. Then fix the brain problem through self control. Why justify the presence of an inferior medium because of the problem with personal discipline! I know it works on a lot of people but that doesn’t make it more rational. It’s like keyboards without printed keys for those aficionados who prefer to learn to type without looking down. Just don’t look down, problem solved.
- take_a_breath 6y ago
  ==Then fix the brain problem through self control== Oftentimes, something is far easier to type than it is to do. If you have a reliable way of implementing self-control this simply, please share it.
  - systemvoltage 6y ago
    For subconscious and things your parasympathetic nervous system does without engaging the brain - We need assistance. For example, when learning how to ride a bicycle, training wheels help until balancing yourself is “learned”. But things like “I don’t buy junk food because if I do, I’ll eat it right away and gain weight”. This... this is a problem with self control. My point was that justifying records because it forces me to listen to the whole album without skipping is an artificially constructed self imposed problem.
- saalweachter 6y ago
  The goal is to do as little mental work while possible while relaxing listening to music. Exercising self control is antithetical to that purpose. It may not be a brain bug everyone has, but the point is to pick a method of relaxing that doesn't exacerbate it.
  - systemvoltage 6y ago
    There is definitely mental frustration in the brain when I can't skip shitty tracks that I don't resonate with and having to forcefully listen to it. That makes my brain way more agitated than relaxing with the ability to skip tracks. When everything works, I am relaxed. When I am artificially constrained, I am not relaxed.

systemvoltage 6y ago

I always found these artificial constraints weird. So the problem is not with the media but with the brain. Then fix the brain problem through self control. Why justify the presence of an inferior medium because of the problem with personal discipline! I know it works on a lot of people but that doesn’t make it more rational. It’s like keyboards without printed keys for those aficionados who prefer to learn to type without looking down. Just don’t look down, problem solved.

take_a_breath 6y ago
==Then fix the brain problem through self control== Oftentimes, something is far easier to type than it is to do. If you have a reliable way of implementing self-control this simply, please share it.
- systemvoltage 6y ago
  For subconscious and things your parasympathetic nervous system does without engaging the brain - We need assistance. For example, when learning how to ride a bicycle, training wheels help until balancing yourself is “learned”. But things like “I don’t buy junk food because if I do, I’ll eat it right away and gain weight”. This... this is a problem with self control. My point was that justifying records because it forces me to listen to the whole album without skipping is an artificially constructed self imposed problem.
saalweachter 6y ago
The goal is to do as little mental work while possible while relaxing listening to music. Exercising self control is antithetical to that purpose. It may not be a brain bug everyone has, but the point is to pick a method of relaxing that doesn't exacerbate it.
- systemvoltage 6y ago
  There is definitely mental frustration in the brain when I can't skip shitty tracks that I don't resonate with and having to forcefully listen to it. That makes my brain way more agitated than relaxing with the ability to skip tracks. When everything works, I am relaxed. When I am artificially constrained, I am not relaxed.