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Meta: Why are there fads like this? Like do people not see this? Everyone's suddenly so interested in how great boredom is, before this it was some other crap,

Meta: Why are there fads like this? Like do people not see this? Everyone's suddenly so interested in how great boredom is, before this it was some other crap, then something else. I don't have a point but I just find it mildly irritating for some reason. It does make sense to collectively research things and exchange ideas but at the same time there's something off about it when it comes to mass media, like it's lazy or something.

Jensson 3y ago
We know A, B and C are useful. Media just likes to copy each other so when one writes that one of those are good others wants to write the same thing so you see: Media: A is the shit, everyone do A! Media few years later: B is best, B B B! Media even more later: C, never forget C!
- BobbyTables2 3y ago
  It’s even more hilarious when the media’s “source” turns out to be a 20 year old “life coach” with little formal training or other unique circumstance.
ravenstine 3y ago
I, too, find it incredibly obvious. Today's fads that are at all adjacent to self-help or productivity are usually doing either of the following: - Inverting an existing idea - Excessively applying mechanistic explanations to human problems (see Huberman and dopamine) To me it's really obvious, but I'm sure there's a constant supply of new buyers who don't know any better.
an_ko 3y ago
Fads come in waves because it's easier and safer to do or discuss something when it's already on the mind of people around you. Perhaps the irritation comes from having seen enough media that you've started to see this meta-level pattern, which is stale and eternal. [Snarky overused The Matrix movie reference goes here.]
Zambyte 3y ago
People have been interested in intentionally inducing boredom for literally hundreds of thousands of years (under the name "meditation"), so I think it is safe to say it is not a fad by now.
- guerrilla 3y ago
  Counterpoint: That's a very superficial conception of meditation.
- akomtu 3y ago
  Meditation is more about learning to focus attention on boring things and discovering that the effort itself is rewarding. It's a lame materialistic description, but it's much closer to the truth. Doing gym stuff is a good analogy: moving weights around and to their original position looks silly to an outsider, but that's because the outsiders try to judge with their minds what can only be understood thru direct experience.
  - lukas099 3y ago
    I can understand going to the gym with my mind. People want to look good and be fit
- broscillator 3y ago
  For how long have you practiced meditation?
- sjfjsjdjwvwvc 3y ago
  Meditation was originally used by monks to literally kill the ego/mind. It has nothing to with boredom and can become downright dangerous if practiced in excess - just look up dangers of meditation.
  - avgcorrection 3y ago
    The ego and the mind are not the same.
- deleted 3y ago
saiya-jin 3y ago
Herd mentality. We all have it to some extent, even when actively trying to suppress it (me for example). It made human society what it is, and most probably was a great survival advantage early on. Now it makes masses susceptible to populists, but wasn't it always the case? Just that masses before were even more meaningless and powerless without things like voting rights.
- BLKNSLVR 3y ago
  +1 for suppressing herd mentality. If I find myself in agreement with a majority of people, I usually don't have a long distance to travel to work out where I've gone wrong.
RankingMember 3y ago
"His business was 'approaching bankruptcy', until he harnessed the power of self-delusion"
kgwxd 3y ago
Stumble on a well, pump it dry, keep on stumblin'
lukas099 3y ago
We're all dissatisfied and trying to fill the void, I guess
prawn 3y ago
It's like all trends. Think about fashion. Something new stands out because it's novel. Then it's everywhere because people are seeking it out first to be contrarian or seeking an edge, and then to feel safe. Then something new stands out, and it all repeats.

Jensson 3y ago

We know A, B and C are useful. Media just likes to copy each other so when one writes that one of those are good others wants to write the same thing so you see: Media: A is the shit, everyone do A! Media few years later: B is best, B B B! Media even more later: C, never forget C!

BobbyTables2 3y ago
It’s even more hilarious when the media’s “source” turns out to be a 20 year old “life coach” with little formal training or other unique circumstance.

ravenstine 3y ago

I, too, find it incredibly obvious. Today's fads that are at all adjacent to self-help or productivity are usually doing either of the following: - Inverting an existing idea - Excessively applying mechanistic explanations to human problems (see Huberman and dopamine) To me it's really obvious, but I'm sure there's a constant supply of new buyers who don't know any better.

an_ko 3y ago

Fads come in waves because it's easier and safer to do or discuss something when it's already on the mind of people around you. Perhaps the irritation comes from having seen enough media that you've started to see this meta-level pattern, which is stale and eternal. [Snarky overused The Matrix movie reference goes here.]

Zambyte 3y ago

People have been interested in intentionally inducing boredom for literally hundreds of thousands of years (under the name "meditation"), so I think it is safe to say it is not a fad by now.

guerrilla 3y ago
Counterpoint: That's a very superficial conception of meditation.
akomtu 3y ago
Meditation is more about learning to focus attention on boring things and discovering that the effort itself is rewarding. It's a lame materialistic description, but it's much closer to the truth. Doing gym stuff is a good analogy: moving weights around and to their original position looks silly to an outsider, but that's because the outsiders try to judge with their minds what can only be understood thru direct experience.
- lukas099 3y ago
  I can understand going to the gym with my mind. People want to look good and be fit
broscillator 3y ago
For how long have you practiced meditation?
sjfjsjdjwvwvc 3y ago
Meditation was originally used by monks to literally kill the ego/mind. It has nothing to with boredom and can become downright dangerous if practiced in excess - just look up dangers of meditation.
- avgcorrection 3y ago
  The ego and the mind are not the same.
deleted 3y ago

saiya-jin 3y ago

Herd mentality. We all have it to some extent, even when actively trying to suppress it (me for example). It made human society what it is, and most probably was a great survival advantage early on. Now it makes masses susceptible to populists, but wasn't it always the case? Just that masses before were even more meaningless and powerless without things like voting rights.

BLKNSLVR 3y ago
+1 for suppressing herd mentality. If I find myself in agreement with a majority of people, I usually don't have a long distance to travel to work out where I've gone wrong.

RankingMember 3y ago

"His business was 'approaching bankruptcy', until he harnessed the power of self-delusion"

kgwxd 3y ago

Stumble on a well, pump it dry, keep on stumblin'

lukas099 3y ago

We're all dissatisfied and trying to fill the void, I guess

prawn 3y ago

It's like all trends. Think about fashion. Something new stands out because it's novel. Then it's everywhere because people are seeking it out first to be contrarian or seeking an edge, and then to feel safe. Then something new stands out, and it all repeats.