What do you think about this quote by Blaise Pascal?

[BCRanger10]

Here's another shoutout to @thegreenyogi

I think there is a lot of truth to this, especially today. It's a lot easier to be distracted by music, TV, movies, snacks and food, scrolling, and other such things than it is for one to sit down quietly for a few moments and examine his or her self and to ask serious and legitimate questions about how they think, speak, and act. It's easier to examine and criticize others than ourselves (let alone completely and honestly). It's easier to avoid asking questions about ourselves and confronting our own darkness and sins and to look for the next dopamine hit or other brief moment of pleasure than it is to ask "was this a good thing to do or say?"

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

« Tout le malheur des hommes vient de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre. »
— Blaise Pascal

Literally translates as (for the fun of it): All the hardship of men come from not know to remain in rest, in a room.

An interpretation I liked:

"For the French philosopher, the answer lies in the fear of our own finitude. We are fragile beings and this pushes us into a paradox where we constantly flee the very situation that would keep us safe: solitude, in our own rooms. Rest, which distances us from danger, resembles the eternal rest. And that terrifies us.

For Pascal, the thrill we seek in games, sports, or even wars are all escapes from the fear of ceasing to exist. To entertain ourselves, then, is to turn away from metaphysical subjects. This is one of the lessons of Pascal’s thought: We simply do our best with the anxiety that inhabits us, and so entertainment becomes a necessity."

[senor_bacon]

I was waiting to see what others commented on this.


It's become a meme to remember past moments of embarrassment. It's relatable because it's common.

It's like our subconscious is trying to teach us something by remembering, reflecting, adjusting.

Instead we get embarrassed and post a meme online for points. Dopaminergic tendencies.

Observing one's own thoughts, awareness, metacognition, is the first step. Learning to be present and aware in the current moment is another. Learning to breathe, observe, and not let the weaker self name the decisions this time. In this moment.

Just another part of life.

[BCRanger10]

Yeah... we all need to come to terms with cringey stuff we've said, done, or thought before. Admittedly though, I hadn't thought about that aspect.

[senor_bacon]

It's so easy once you've learned these steps from different places at random on YouTube, the first AI assistant therapist/DIY/red pill/blah blah.

Then in the quiet things start to add up and make sense.

Things that were never taught become more self evident, regain sense of self control. Now the quite is invited, much more peaceful than the loud music and endless dopaminergic activities.

The memes are like an acknowledgement that this is a widespread pattern. The self improvement ends up as a pictogram on self improvement subreddit haha.

But either way just spreading the knowledge. No one should be afraid of their own cognition just because it's uncomfortable.

[senor_bacon]

TY MHO

[sage2021]

I live alone and I analyze everything a lot, including myself.

I live in peace and quiet alone everyday and and I enjoy it.

After working with so many people for 30 years I always couldn't wait to put most of them behind me.

[DishLady]

It's true. FOMO and most other insecurities come from the fact that we feel we are not enough sitting in place on our own.

[OneViewpoint]

I don't know about "all of humanity's problems" but, I sure as hell wish some people didn't feel compelled to fill every silence with meaningless noise. It drives me nuts! But it can be interesting watching them squirm in a moment of silence. Like they can't stand being alone with their own thoughts.

[NathanDavis]

this is another reason why I stopped attending Catholic mass...

all that stand up, sit down... stand, sit... get up, sit down...

why can't I just sit quietly down and listen, ffs...

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Shrewdness, shrewdness

[NathanDavis]

@Maybe_Maybe_not sitting quietly... is Anti-American

[AngryCarl3]

@NathanDavis Hey, it's the Catholic Church. They invented brainwashing.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

[strateguy632]

Wrong. All of our problems are from greedy people.

[AngryCarl3]

That seems like a rather sweeping generalisation. But he does have the right idea. Time spent thinking without distractions is important.

[canamlusciouslad73]

D**N SKIPPY, BLAISE !!!