Is Waiting a Lost Art?

[Bryan Barnfellow]

I found this conversation with the author of a new book to be very interesting and thought our members might as well. I am posting in the Health and Retirement forum because the content seems most related to our general health and well being.

Is Waiting a Lost Art? - Knowledge@Wharton

From the article (which includes the complete podcast):

"Sometimes, I feel very powerless to do anything about that news. We are presented with this information all day long. What do we do with it? What are we supposed to do with the knowledge we get on Google or the news that we get through the radio or in the newspaper or on Twitter? I don’t think we are giving ourselves enough time to answer that question. We don’t know what to do with it, so we just keep being pulled into this future, feeling like we don’t have a sense of agency over how to change things, how to intervene.

"I think about the emotional toll of being connected always and not being able to sit with something for a moment to think — what do I do with this? How do I innovate on it? How do I transform things? How do I do something? I just feel like I am just being bombarded nonstop throughout the day. The pauses are really essential for us to have a sense of emotional well-being, and [to feel] that we can actually do something with this knowledge."

-BB

 

[marko]

I tend to agree. Lately I find myself asking "what does this have to do with me?". If the answer is 'nothing', I just turn off the issue in my mind and move on.

Twitter, Google, the media all [-]want you to[/-] demand that you care about stuff that they spew out whether it impacts you. I find myself shrinking my world in order to stay sane...I just don't need to know or care about a whole lot of stuff that's dumped on me each day.

 

[steelyman]

Good interview, thanks for posting. The author’s contrast of email vs texting (vs talking, waiting) is interesting.

It brought to mind a book published not long ago: “Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital World”, by Sherry Turkle. Similar ideas but a slightly different take.

 

[LOL!]

Actually waiting has been elevated to a High Art. But not in the sense that the article was aiming at.

I think we can all remember waiting in lines with nothing to do. Wait at the airport. Wait for a taxi. Wait for the mailman. Wait for husband to get ready to go. Wait for kids to get out of soccer. Wait at the car repair place.

All that waiting with nothing to do is mostly a thing of the past. Nowadays about 95% of people pull out their phone and do something else while waiting. It becomes a very productive time. Maybe they even send a letter to the Pope?

 

[Sunset]

...
All that waiting with nothing to do is mostly a thing of the past. Nowadays about 95% of people pull out their phone and do something else while waiting. It becomes a very productive time. Maybe they even send a letter to the Pope?

Most just play a game, or incessantly browse the FB/new/etc apps following a rabbit hole trail of useless trivia ( ex Kim Kardash...)

Vs in the old days, reflecting upon events in ones life, and the personal interactions that have lead up to that day's position.

 

[W2R]

From the article (which includes the complete podcast):

"Sometimes, I feel very powerless to do anything about that news. We are presented with this information all day long. What do we do with it? What are we supposed to do with the knowledge we get on Google or the news that we get through the radio or in the newspaper or on Twitter?

Frank and I sometimes remind one another that there is really nothing we can do about most of the awful stuff we read about in the news. We are just a couple of aging retirees that the movers and shakers would never even notice as we live our simple and uneventful (and fun!) retired lives here in Louisiana.

We do a lot of this: ~~~>>> <<<~~~

We read and watch, and say to one another, "Wow, did you hear about (whatever-it-is)?" and "Well, I wonder what the millennials are going to do to fix THIS mess!" It's up to younger people, not us, at this point. One thing's for sure, they would never listen to any advice we might have for them. We do vote but that's about all the two of us can do to change the world at this stage in life.

 

[CaptTom]

I try to distinguish between the things I can do something about, and the things I can't.

It's good to understand what's going on in the world. But if you don't get out of the echo chamber of like-minded sites and broadcasts, you'll find yourself being overwhelmed by urgent "emergencies" you need to act on to protect your "team" from the evil "other" team.

The solution is to seek opposing viewpoints, learn and understand. That doesn't mean there aren't things you should act on. It means you'll be able to know when you're being manipulated, and when there really are important issues you can influence.

 

[CaptTom]

Most just play a game, or incessantly browse the FB/new/etc apps following a rabbit hole trail of useless trivia...

You mean like posting twice to the same thread?

Some days I feel like I should find some way to turn this "wasted" time into some small income-generating activity. A few bucks for the cruising kitty.

Every so often I look into some "gig economy" or "task" stuff to see if there's anything I'd like to do. But then it always starts to look like w*rk, and I remember how nice it is to be retired. Plus none of that stuff pays much. I'd be better off collecting returnable bottles by the side of the road.

Anyone find a better option

 

[W2R]

I try to distinguish between the things I can do something about, and the things I can't.

It's good to understand what's going on in the world. But if you don't get out of the echo chamber of like-minded sites and broadcasts, you'll find yourself being overwhelmed by urgent "emergencies" you need to act on to protect your "team" from the evil "other" team.

The solution is to seek opposing viewpoints, learn and understand. […]

I love doing this. Also I try to listen to bright younger Youtubers of varying viewpoints who are talking about politics, since there seem to be some very valid generational effects on all of these viewpoints that I think it's important and interesting for old fogies like me to understand.

 

[timo2]

Now that I'm not working, while waiting I like to observe the surrounding environment, people, comings and goings, how things work, why equipment and furniture is placed where they are, etc. Just like I did before the digital world. In the digital work world, once I had a little work computer in my pocket, I would work while waiting instead of absorbing my surroundings.

 

[michelek]

Very apropos topic for the Advent season

 

[KenZ71]

The comment of having computer in our pocket and being able to do stuff while waiting is true. But then that raises the question why do so many say I haven't had time to .....

If guess it comes down to priorities. The social media apps have done a great job of making their priorities, viewing their advertising, society's priorities.