Very well articulated. You should explore the creative aspect of passive thinking. This is something AI, by definition, cannot do. Sometimes a wandering mind - escaping from worry, taking a break from a problem or just letting itself meander - can be super creative.
Thank you for the comment! I agree with you that creativity often comes in the wandering mind. As you say, letting your mind take a break from active thinking can often bring it into situations where it can gain insights.
As for your point on AI, I am not sure that it is incapable of passive thinking 'by definition.' I agree that it cannot do so currently, but different models may be able to do so in the future. Though, we might have different definitions of AI!
This is very inspiring and practical. I tend to keep my brain stimulated and distracted by reading, scrolling on my phone or watching series. I think starting with my thoughts is the hardest thing to do for me
Yes, it is very difficult to start thinking actively! If you look at behavior, we can categorize every action as voluntary, dissonant, or dependent. Each of these can be avenues for change:
If you expect to have fun or otherwise get more out of an act than it will hurt, you can act voluntarily.
If you desire to act but do not do so, you may be painfully pushed towards the act through dissonance. Though, in addition to being painful, your habits may push you toward distraction, further cementing the negative associations with active thinking.
If you focus on building habits, like starting with a very tiny amount of thinking to do regularly, you may bring to automatically think actively.
Well, there are various things you can do to improve your odds of thinking actively, but each requires some sort of change now. So we seem to be back at the beginning!
Sometimes we have the motivation to enact change, and sometimes we don’t. I think that the most important thing to do is to set yourself up while you have the motivation. Plan habits, practice meditation, or whatever else you want to enact. When you do not have motivation, these changes you’ve made can come in and take over, steering towards destinations you’d like.
Really loved reading this! Have you read Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman? Your explanations of passive vs. active thinking reminded me a lot of the concepts in that book. I also loved how you used Obsidian to map out your method of thinking. I use Obsidian daily and have barely touched the Canvas feature, so I'm glad you shared a practical application for it.
Thank you for reading! I am reading Kahneman's book (among many others) and am just past halfway. While writing this essay I realized the similarities you pointed out, so I am glad you picked up on it.
Obsidian is where I do most of my work, so if you want more about it stay tuned! I will write about theory, workflows, and tips on making the most of it...
Thank you for your comment! I do not think it is too late. The human has a built-in safeguard that ensures its humanity. It is called the "existential crisis!"
So long as people have hope and face difficulty, they will have to seek out what their lives mean, and how they might live. It is these quests for self-knowledge that self-realization as a human begins.
Merci pour votre commentaire ! Je ne pense pas qu'il soit trop tard. L'être humain possède un garde-fou qui garantit son humanité. C'est ce qu'on appelle la « crise existentielle » !
Tant que les gens auront de l'espoir et seront confrontés à des difficultés, ils devront chercher à savoir ce que signifie leur vie et comment ils pourraient vivre. C'est dans cette quête de connaissance de soi que commence la réalisation de soi en tant qu'être humain.
Very well articulated. You should explore the creative aspect of passive thinking. This is something AI, by definition, cannot do. Sometimes a wandering mind - escaping from worry, taking a break from a problem or just letting itself meander - can be super creative.
Thank you for the comment! I agree with you that creativity often comes in the wandering mind. As you say, letting your mind take a break from active thinking can often bring it into situations where it can gain insights.
As for your point on AI, I am not sure that it is incapable of passive thinking 'by definition.' I agree that it cannot do so currently, but different models may be able to do so in the future. Though, we might have different definitions of AI!
Super informative. Lovely writing
Very well written and super helpful ❤
Thank you! I am glad you liked it.
This is very inspiring and practical. I tend to keep my brain stimulated and distracted by reading, scrolling on my phone or watching series. I think starting with my thoughts is the hardest thing to do for me
Yes, it is very difficult to start thinking actively! If you look at behavior, we can categorize every action as voluntary, dissonant, or dependent. Each of these can be avenues for change:
If you expect to have fun or otherwise get more out of an act than it will hurt, you can act voluntarily.
If you desire to act but do not do so, you may be painfully pushed towards the act through dissonance. Though, in addition to being painful, your habits may push you toward distraction, further cementing the negative associations with active thinking.
If you focus on building habits, like starting with a very tiny amount of thinking to do regularly, you may bring to automatically think actively.
Well, there are various things you can do to improve your odds of thinking actively, but each requires some sort of change now. So we seem to be back at the beginning!
Sometimes we have the motivation to enact change, and sometimes we don’t. I think that the most important thing to do is to set yourself up while you have the motivation. Plan habits, practice meditation, or whatever else you want to enact. When you do not have motivation, these changes you’ve made can come in and take over, steering towards destinations you’d like.
Thank you for the comment!
Really loved reading this! Have you read Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman? Your explanations of passive vs. active thinking reminded me a lot of the concepts in that book. I also loved how you used Obsidian to map out your method of thinking. I use Obsidian daily and have barely touched the Canvas feature, so I'm glad you shared a practical application for it.
Thank you for reading! I am reading Kahneman's book (among many others) and am just past halfway. While writing this essay I realized the similarities you pointed out, so I am glad you picked up on it.
Obsidian is where I do most of my work, so if you want more about it stay tuned! I will write about theory, workflows, and tips on making the most of it...
N’est t’il pas déjà trop tard pour la génération ChatJPT et l’IA...??
Je suis d’accord avec toi ...Nous perdons notre humanité..
Thank you for your comment! I do not think it is too late. The human has a built-in safeguard that ensures its humanity. It is called the "existential crisis!"
So long as people have hope and face difficulty, they will have to seek out what their lives mean, and how they might live. It is these quests for self-knowledge that self-realization as a human begins.
https://essays.birla.io/p/how-might-one-live
Merci pour votre commentaire ! Je ne pense pas qu'il soit trop tard. L'être humain possède un garde-fou qui garantit son humanité. C'est ce qu'on appelle la « crise existentielle » !
Tant que les gens auront de l'espoir et seront confrontés à des difficultés, ils devront chercher à savoir ce que signifie leur vie et comment ils pourraient vivre. C'est dans cette quête de connaissance de soi que commence la réalisation de soi en tant qu'être humain.