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for me its similar but I don't need boredom, I either get the insight randomly or in dreams/waking up
by nathias 4y ago
for me its similar but I don't need boredom, I either get the insight randomly or in dreams/waking up
- marginalia_nu 4y agoI think boredom is maybe the wrong thing. I can't be too engaged in something. That seems to sabotage the process. I can't play video games or watch some exciting movie (or scroll HN ;-) Physical work can help. Or just doing something that's not too engaging.
- nathias 4y agoyea I understand, I can work on multiple problems, but the most interesting will win
- SL61 4y agoIt's the same for me: the eureka moment happens when I'm not consciously thinking of the problem at all, and often I'm fully engaged in an unrelated activity. Some places I've experienced sudden insight for a technical problem: * playing a video game on Saturday evening * briefly awake at 3am to use the bathroom * shopping for tea kettles on Amazon * reading aloud in a writer's group The idea just pops into my head, sometimes throwing me off the task I'm actually focused on. I assume there's a subconscious portion of my brain still calculating the problem even when I don't realize it, but I can see why some people believe their insights come from a higher power.