2025-01-05
tags: none
Words: 959 (4 minutes to read)
(This is entry 63 of #100DaysToOffload)
Media minimalism: I think it might be useful for me to practise it. I already do to an extent: I don't have a huge amount of media anymore, really only the amount that is necessary to get what I want, plus a little bit of extra. I find that there are a few channels that I do enjoy to watch, but they don't really help me: Brodie Robertson for instance, makes videos I enjoy to watch, but I don't think I benefit from them. Self-improvement podcasts I listen to a lot as well, but I feel as if I gain something by them.
Really, I am not sure on the nature of what I should do in terms of media. Engaging in media relating to urban planning has made me notice how terrible the urban planning in England is (too many cars, too little infrastructure). Yet, I have not engaged in media relating to say, economics, which if I had I would be able to get a lens on it that way, e.g. we have poor infrastructure due to the government paying off debts, and that is due to councils funds being slashed etc.
Yet, does it help me to know all this? I guess I know I want to move to Europe anyways, and seeing the poor state of the UK from an urban planning point of view elucidates that a little; even from a financial point of view it would do that. Yet, I am still not able to move to Europe, really, so I think I don't actually benefit from it.
So, in essence, I don't think even that benefits me. Perhaps I need to, instead of accepting the media passively (of course, I do search it out; but I don't search it out like I want to do something for my lats, what good exercises are there, but instead like oh, I wonder if Not Just Bikes has uploaded anything new?. In other words, I am almost more interested in the media itself, and the fact of it being media, as opposed to actual the content. As in, he could speak about anything and I'd listen, because I just want something to learn, or to hear. Here's an aside:
There are active, and "passive" versions of certain verbs, for instance listen (with attention, rapture) and hear. Likewise, look, and see. Even an active verb can have this: for instance to talk, chatter (without sense) and to speak, state, avow (with purpose). Learn is a verb that doesn't have different versions like this, yet there is two types of learning. Actively trying to acquire knowledge, for instance studying, or practising guitar, or seeking out a new way of doing x, and just passively taking in little facts or whatever. Perhaps it's important to make sure, for good benefit, to try to strive for active everything.) [this continues the previous paragraph, btw] make sure that any media I take in (and there certainly will be some) is taken in actively in that sense. I don't think active is the right word: of course, there are active in the sense of performed (not passive) actions, so I guess it would be better to say that I do everything with intention.
For instance, at the moment, I have Chris Williamson interviewing Visakan Veerasamy on the right, and the blog writing on the left. Perhaps I should just do the one thing, and ensure that it is focussed. If it is intake of media, that should be the only one thing I focus on. If it is production, then naturally I just focus on that.
So maybe media minimalism isn't the goal. The goal is to ensure that all the media that I do consume is intentional. Not just media for the sake of media. Not even things that are useful.
(Weirdly, I get a feeling - it's similar to the feeling of a druggy being denied his vice - when I think, for instance, that I shouldn't anymore watch Not Just Bikes. That is probably a giveaway that watching that channel (and no disrespect to the channel, as it is good) is probably become a vice.
Then, there is another [I really need to stop continuing brackets over multiple paragraphs] question: can I enjoy it as a treat? Like a sweet, or a thing to relax over. I guess I don't see why not; but then again, there is also the idea that if I am serious about the goals that I want to achieve, I wouldn't engage in that. I had a few (maybe seven in total) sweets today, for instance. I could well say, that if I were more serious about my weight loss, and my muscle gains, I wouldn't do this at all: I would just take the calorie deficit, or if I really need the calories would each protein/fat not refined carbs. I suppose what it is, is that I have the seriousness about the topic in the sense of the depressive tendency, but I don't have the seriousness in terms of acting in such a way as to ensure that I don't sabotage (even in a small way) the things that I am trying to achieve. So, I suppose that's a learning point for me. I need to cut out the sweets altogether: I can't even just have a little bit. If I am really serious (the term comes about because I have this on in the background), then I shouldn't self-sabotage at all. I have to try as consistently hard as I can. I can narrow the fields of concern: urban planning doesn't belong. Linux drama doesn't belong. Maybe even self-improvement stuff doesn't belong. Maybe I should say this:
I am focussing solely on guitar, mandolin, allotment, study, and my health. Little else belongs.
)
(As an aside (and I promise this is the last bracket), this is actually long enough it could count as a wv! I'll still keep it on the blog, though.)