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> is that I am strictly a mono-tasker I'm somewhat similar. If there's tv/music playing, I have a hard time working. I believe it's because my brain get hooked

• mrandish 3y ago
  Good point. Certain kinds of ambient or so-called focus music are definitely better for me than typical lyric-melody based music if I'm trying to focus. On my phone I have playlists of different types of ambient music as well as various kinds of natural environments and synthetic noise background loops. I use them to drown out sounds when silence isn't an option and environmental noise exceeds blocking or canceling. It does help as opposed to doing nothing but frankly, for me, silence is always going to be best for thinking. To be clear, I do greatly enjoy listening to non-ambient music but I tend to do so with pure focus. I like a lot of different genres from electronica, dance, classical, soundtracks, electro-swing and even top 100 pop music when it's especially good but I tightly curate my playlists. If a song is on one of my non-ambient playlists I definitely LOVE that song to the extent I would always enjoy just sitting in the dark and basking in it while doing nothing else. Anything short of that doesn't make the cut for my non-ambient playlists, which I think may be unusual based on how my friends report they curate playlists. > Yeah this sounds a bit weird/strange. Maybe my brain is wired differently (I suspect it might be a spectrum thing). Not strange at all to me. In fact, those who report turning on the TV AND a radio in order to "study" seem bizarre to me. Yes, maybe our brains are wired differently but I certainly don't think it's necessarily any kind of downside or deficit - it's just a cognitive difference. To be honest, (and I admit this is obviously an inaccurate personal bias), I can't help feeling those who hate being alone with their own thoughts are somehow "broken." Like, "Really? Your thoughts are so boring even you find them unbearable?" :-) (<-- again, I fully acknowledge this is a snarky, unfair and insensitive emotional reflex that is unjustified and irrational). But still, I really do have trouble comprehending a neural state or conscious existence where that would be true in an otherwise intelligent, emotionally well-balanced, educated adult. I cite this as personal evidence that different neural types may be completely genuine when they report finding MY neuro-type utterly incomprehensible.
• Given_47 3y ago
  > However if I'm listening to electronica (no vocals, e.g. progressive trance), I can listen to it while working. Entirely agree, I’m listening to a Hernan Cattaneo mix rn, which is more prog house (tho I’ve read about the impassioned debates between the two sides that used to take place over something like which got to claim Sasha’s Xpander lol) and I cannot listen to anything else while working. > The way I reason this, is it's like my river of thoughts is moving faster. I’ve long wondered the same and it just occurred to me now that that specific bpm range could be analogous to a pace car. It has enough tempo to get u, and keep u, in “the zone” while not being too up-tempo to be overwhelming. Additionally, the consistent bpm and lack of vocals accomplishes the above for me while still not being distracting. And to your idea of a “river” or “stream” I think that’s y I find pronounced breakdowns jarring in this context because it’s basically an interruption. However if I’m doing abstract thinking and exploring my thoughts in depth, that idea of a pace car is detrimental so I prefer silence for that