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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2024 1:15 pm
Chapter 9. Questions from the World of People
Question: You have talked a lot about control, about giving up on something, and how it’s difficult and sometimes impossible. But this is physical, and that’s understandable. What about the constant flow of thoughts? We ordinary people, worldly people, and I know that this problem probably affects 99% of people. We constantly think about everything, about problems, old and new, replaying everything in our minds, thinking negatively, or imagining the worst-case scenarios. This constant flow of thoughts is hard to control, and we need to learn to manage it. How can we learn to do this? For example, I read “Alternative History”, I am into it, but after an hour or two, I go to work or do something, and that’s it. And tell me, how does it all look for you? Having read you for many years, I understand that you are completely different. You have a different mindset. But is there anything that absorbs you? For example, some discovery, and you endlessly think about it and cannot stop?
I have already written about this a thousand times, but I will say it again. Imagine, for example, I was at the bank today with a lawyer, as an example. After being emotionally and mentally active in a dialogue with the lawyer and people at the bank, I entered a rhythm of active, excited mind. When such a mind turns on, it seeks more stimulation, continuation. You might plan to go home after the bank, but your mind will find any excuse not to go home. You might think of stopping by the store, meeting someone, going to a café, or doing something else. The longer you stay in this state and continue to feed this rhythm of your mind, the more you sink into it. And imagine, after a five-hour day of bustling activities, shopping centers, and banks, you return home, open my book, and wonder why you can’t concentrate. Why do all these thoughts invade your mind? It feels like something distracts you, like you want to get up, rub your body, make something, or perhaps write to someone. It’s because you are in an excited state, a heightened rhythm of mind. You’ve gotten into it. It’s okay for this rhythm to be necessary when you are doing tasks. Now you need to calm it down. How to calm it? You need to understand that when it is hungry, that is, when the mind is restless, it calms down. So, you shouldn’t feed it. What does it feed on? It feeds on your phone, social media, and tasks. You pour yourself some tea and get up again to get sugar.
You place it down, then get up again to close the window. It seems you have excuses for doing all this because you are preparing the environment,
Question: You have talked a lot about control, about giving up on something, and how it’s difficult and sometimes impossible. But this is physical, and that’s understandable. What about the constant flow of thoughts? We ordinary people, worldly people, and I know that this problem probably affects 99% of people. We constantly think about everything, about problems, old and new, replaying everything in our minds, thinking negatively, or imagining the worst-case scenarios. This constant flow of thoughts is hard to control, and we need to learn to manage it. How can we learn to do this? For example, I read “Alternative History”, I am into it, but after an hour or two, I go to work or do something, and that’s it. And tell me, how does it all look for you? Having read you for many years, I understand that you are completely different. You have a different mindset. But is there anything that absorbs you? For example, some discovery, and you endlessly think about it and cannot stop?
I have already written about this a thousand times, but I will say it again. Imagine, for example, I was at the bank today with a lawyer, as an example. After being emotionally and mentally active in a dialogue with the lawyer and people at the bank, I entered a rhythm of active, excited mind. When such a mind turns on, it seeks more stimulation, continuation. You might plan to go home after the bank, but your mind will find any excuse not to go home. You might think of stopping by the store, meeting someone, going to a café, or doing something else. The longer you stay in this state and continue to feed this rhythm of your mind, the more you sink into it. And imagine, after a five-hour day of bustling activities, shopping centers, and banks, you return home, open my book, and wonder why you can’t concentrate. Why do all these thoughts invade your mind? It feels like something distracts you, like you want to get up, rub your body, make something, or perhaps write to someone. It’s because you are in an excited state, a heightened rhythm of mind. You’ve gotten into it. It’s okay for this rhythm to be necessary when you are doing tasks. Now you need to calm it down. How to calm it? You need to understand that when it is hungry, that is, when the mind is restless, it calms down. So, you shouldn’t feed it. What does it feed on? It feeds on your phone, social media, and tasks. You pour yourself some tea and get up again to get sugar.
You place it down, then get up again to close the window. It seems you have excuses for doing all this because you are preparing the environment,