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I have another suggestion which doesn't contradict yours: This is only a small part of it (tech addiction 24/7 via phone); certainly there is something bigger

I have another suggestion which doesn't contradict yours: This is only a small part of it (tech addiction 24/7 via phone); certainly there is something bigger at play, here (e.g: "the brain isn't the same anymore;" agreed). I do not use email nor a cell phone (several years; outgoing landline, only), so I have more than enough time to ruminate (and read a few dozen books, annually) – and yet agree very much with OC's theory on needing mental health exercises to replace our newfound AGI tools/workers. As an extremely conversive person (unbound by a cellphone), it's become an extremely strange world, particularly when talking with strangers, even in just the past two years. It's like: everybody is just mentally exhausted, mortal. I know I am. –Phoneless

p_j_w 9d ago
Maybe we’re just getting older.
- poncho_romero 9d ago
  As a young person, I can at least anecdotally say the same thing is happening to people who, while older, ain't old yet.
  - ProllyInfamous 9d ago
    >>We get wise too late... >>...and old too soon. >>–Danish Proverb ---- At early-forties, I don't think I count as "young" anymore. Definitely: growing up without a cell phone was beautiful. I still remember driving around semi-lost, using paper maps, quite fondly (I still print directions). My last partner (eight years my junior) "grew up on her cellphone" and it was just remarkable how fucked her brain was... at least different from my own landlined-childhood POV (e.g: attention-span; need for constant contact). ---- And yet, my brain also enmushifies (lately: increasingly).
    - ChrisLTD 9d ago
      Forties isn’t old. You might not have the energy reserves of a younger person, but you shouldn’t feel like your brain is mush.
      - ziofill 9d ago
        I’m a professional theoretical physicist in my 40s and I never thought the day would come that I would realize I became shit at mental math. I can do quantum physics in my head but don’t ask me to add 17 to 34
        steve-atx-7600 9d ago
        Thanks for mentioning this. It makes me feel better about stumbling with metal math in front of some colleagues that are faster.
        ProllyInfamous 9d ago
        I've also noticed that I drive more slowly/defensively, if only because I need more time to react to all these other bad drivers =P You won't catch me (nor any of my brilliant brothers) doing math without a calculator... and I got a SAT790Math way-back-when (do they still score that way? I missed one question, only; many of my brothers scored 750+).
    - larodi 9d ago
      It is questionable what is, at present day, considered young and old (and particularly during mid-forties), as life expectancy doubled last century from roughly ~40 to ~80 years. which makes everyone in their forties old by ... olden standards and mid-life at current ones. if we get to live through the (forthcoming or already unfolding) singularity, there's a fair chance new life standards extend to 140-180 years*, with medicine, yoga, nootropics** and all. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy#Maximum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy#Maximum ** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic
  - HedonicEscal8r 9d ago
    As a young person, I have no idea what you guys are talking about, and recommend not overgeneralizing from anecdotes.
    - poncho_romero 9d ago
      Ratio /s
tristor 9d ago
> It's like: everybody is just mentally exhausted, mortal. Very much this. I think a lot of it is that the "slack" of our lives is being eliminated little bit by little bit to improve "productivity", and in so doing it is making life harder, mentally and physically, in ways that we don't really grasp because we're the frog being boiled. We are more "productive" and "efficient" than ever, but we're not happier or living better lives, and a lot of that I think is due to us eking out the last bit of gain for our work lives and leaving nothing left in the tank for when we aren't working. This three day weekend, I only really felt like I could do things today, but now I have to go back to work tomorrow. Wouldn't it be great if I didn't need 2-3 days just to become a normal person again every time I don't have to work? Wouldn't it be great if I could use at least one day on the weekend every weekend to do something of personal interest rather than mental recovery in a fog?
- ProllyInfamous 9d ago
  My favorite full-time schedule was four-10s: ten hour days Monday-Tuesday, and again Thursday-Friday. This MT_RF schedule meant I never had to work a "Wednesday", and my Tuesdays became additional "almost Fridays". I would often take part-time gigs on Saturdays, because my problem isn't that I need several days off in a row... it's that I don't want to work more than three days in a row. ---- The only thing I lack in my self-induced retirement is healthcare (so a big thing for this American boo)... which within the decade might require me to work some minimal job just to get benefits – I dread this day enough to avoid the topic, furtherly. Is Trader Joes still 28 hours/week [for bennies]? I can still sort grapes, friend-uh-ly.
- joquarky 8d ago
  I seem to recall Church of the SubGenius had something about this.
- ikr678 8d ago
  I like friction in my life, and intentionally add it back in where I can for this reason. It isn't me 'profiting' from having more free time, it's usually companies managing to find new things for me to fill my free time with. Time spent vacuuming or washing dishes is time spent not scrolling.

p_j_w 9d ago

Maybe we’re just getting older.

poncho_romero 9d ago
As a young person, I can at least anecdotally say the same thing is happening to people who, while older, ain't old yet.
- ProllyInfamous 9d ago
  >>We get wise too late... >>...and old too soon. >>–Danish Proverb ---- At early-forties, I don't think I count as "young" anymore. Definitely: growing up without a cell phone was beautiful. I still remember driving around semi-lost, using paper maps, quite fondly (I still print directions). My last partner (eight years my junior) "grew up on her cellphone" and it was just remarkable how fucked her brain was... at least different from my own landlined-childhood POV (e.g: attention-span; need for constant contact). ---- And yet, my brain also enmushifies (lately: increasingly).
  - ChrisLTD 9d ago
    Forties isn’t old. You might not have the energy reserves of a younger person, but you shouldn’t feel like your brain is mush.
    - ziofill 9d ago
      I’m a professional theoretical physicist in my 40s and I never thought the day would come that I would realize I became shit at mental math. I can do quantum physics in my head but don’t ask me to add 17 to 34
      - steve-atx-7600 9d ago
        Thanks for mentioning this. It makes me feel better about stumbling with metal math in front of some colleagues that are faster.
        ProllyInfamous 9d ago
        I've also noticed that I drive more slowly/defensively, if only because I need more time to react to all these other bad drivers =P You won't catch me (nor any of my brilliant brothers) doing math without a calculator... and I got a SAT790Math way-back-when (do they still score that way? I missed one question, only; many of my brothers scored 750+).
  - larodi 9d ago
    It is questionable what is, at present day, considered young and old (and particularly during mid-forties), as life expectancy doubled last century from roughly ~40 to ~80 years. which makes everyone in their forties old by ... olden standards and mid-life at current ones. if we get to live through the (forthcoming or already unfolding) singularity, there's a fair chance new life standards extend to 140-180 years*, with medicine, yoga, nootropics** and all. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy#Maximum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy#Maximum ** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic
- HedonicEscal8r 9d ago
  As a young person, I have no idea what you guys are talking about, and recommend not overgeneralizing from anecdotes.
  - poncho_romero 9d ago
    Ratio /s

tristor 9d ago

> It's like: everybody is just mentally exhausted, mortal. Very much this. I think a lot of it is that the "slack" of our lives is being eliminated little bit by little bit to improve "productivity", and in so doing it is making life harder, mentally and physically, in ways that we don't really grasp because we're the frog being boiled. We are more "productive" and "efficient" than ever, but we're not happier or living better lives, and a lot of that I think is due to us eking out the last bit of gain for our work lives and leaving nothing left in the tank for when we aren't working. This three day weekend, I only really felt like I could do things today, but now I have to go back to work tomorrow. Wouldn't it be great if I didn't need 2-3 days just to become a normal person again every time I don't have to work? Wouldn't it be great if I could use at least one day on the weekend every weekend to do something of personal interest rather than mental recovery in a fog?

ProllyInfamous 9d ago
My favorite full-time schedule was four-10s: ten hour days Monday-Tuesday, and again Thursday-Friday. This MT_RF schedule meant I never had to work a "Wednesday", and my Tuesdays became additional "almost Fridays". I would often take part-time gigs on Saturdays, because my problem isn't that I need several days off in a row... it's that I don't want to work more than three days in a row. ---- The only thing I lack in my self-induced retirement is healthcare (so a big thing for this American boo)... which within the decade might require me to work some minimal job just to get benefits – I dread this day enough to avoid the topic, furtherly. Is Trader Joes still 28 hours/week [for bennies]? I can still sort grapes, friend-uh-ly.
joquarky 8d ago
I seem to recall Church of the SubGenius had something about this.
ikr678 8d ago
I like friction in my life, and intentionally add it back in where I can for this reason. It isn't me 'profiting' from having more free time, it's usually companies managing to find new things for me to fill my free time with. Time spent vacuuming or washing dishes is time spent not scrolling.