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Playing video games for many people is exactly as relaxing as hanging out in a hammock, with all the same background processing. I see no difference here betwee

Playing video games for many people is exactly as relaxing as hanging out in a hammock, with all the same background processing. I see no difference here between the hammock and video games here, it just depends on the person.

Twisol 5y ago
For me, there have been many times when I've been playing Rocket League in almost a fugue state, where I'm only half paying attention to the game. (Like how you can drive for a while in your car in a half-daydream, and snap back to reality and wonder how you missed so many miles going by without getting in an accident. If you've never experienced it, yes, it's a thing; no, it's not epilepsy.) I tend to make a lot of progress just organizing my thoughts during those times; it's like the act of doing something else distracts the part of my brain that would get in the way of the processing I needed to do otherwise. Strangely, I also tend to play Rocket League pretty well, even though I'm not fully focusing. Again, probably something about just doing vs. thinking about how to do. I don't switch off from work very well, though, so this invariably happens when I should be enjoying my personal time but I'm still thinking about work. The exact opposite situation from the OP's.
- loup-vaillant 5y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_hypnosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_hypnosis
azinman2 5y ago
Sounds extremely charitable to me. There is no indication from the OP they’re solving crazy hard problems requiring a ton of thought, or that they’re actually thinking about said problems while goofing off. It just sounds like they’ve managed to get enough done to get by, and continue skating like this. I’ve seen quite of few people do this professionally. It’s just important to be honest about it. My guess is there’s a motivation problem, which may be from the job itself, or something else.
- shawnz 5y ago
  Aren't the positive performance reviews such an indication?
  - soneca 5y ago
    I don’t think so. I just think they are a bullshit artist. Where is that very critical HN opinions of extrovert MBAs that don’t or know do anything, but keep getting promotions because they are good at bullshitting? Suddenly if it is a fellow engineer doing the same they are actually “working in the back of their minds in very hard problems”? How convenient.
    - shawnz 5y ago
      I've never posted anything like that, and there are plenty of critical posts in this thread from others regardless.
  - azinman2 5y ago
    They said they range from mediocre to positive. We don’t know what the bar is where they work, but it seems they’re just barely meeting it. Imagine if they actually worked a whole week, every week!

Twisol 5y ago

For me, there have been many times when I've been playing Rocket League in almost a fugue state, where I'm only half paying attention to the game. (Like how you can drive for a while in your car in a half-daydream, and snap back to reality and wonder how you missed so many miles going by without getting in an accident. If you've never experienced it, yes, it's a thing; no, it's not epilepsy.) I tend to make a lot of progress just organizing my thoughts during those times; it's like the act of doing something else distracts the part of my brain that would get in the way of the processing I needed to do otherwise. Strangely, I also tend to play Rocket League pretty well, even though I'm not fully focusing. Again, probably something about just doing vs. thinking about how to do. I don't switch off from work very well, though, so this invariably happens when I should be enjoying my personal time but I'm still thinking about work. The exact opposite situation from the OP's.

loup-vaillant 5y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_hypnosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_hypnosis

azinman2 5y ago

Sounds extremely charitable to me. There is no indication from the OP they’re solving crazy hard problems requiring a ton of thought, or that they’re actually thinking about said problems while goofing off. It just sounds like they’ve managed to get enough done to get by, and continue skating like this. I’ve seen quite of few people do this professionally. It’s just important to be honest about it. My guess is there’s a motivation problem, which may be from the job itself, or something else.

shawnz 5y ago
Aren't the positive performance reviews such an indication?
- soneca 5y ago
  I don’t think so. I just think they are a bullshit artist. Where is that very critical HN opinions of extrovert MBAs that don’t or know do anything, but keep getting promotions because they are good at bullshitting? Suddenly if it is a fellow engineer doing the same they are actually “working in the back of their minds in very hard problems”? How convenient.
  - shawnz 5y ago
    I've never posted anything like that, and there are plenty of critical posts in this thread from others regardless.
- azinman2 5y ago
  They said they range from mediocre to positive. We don’t know what the bar is where they work, but it seems they’re just barely meeting it. Imagine if they actually worked a whole week, every week!