We are addicted.
We live in a time where we are one click away from stimulation.
It doesn't matter if it's porn, social media, junk food, or video games. It all does the same thing—provide instant gratification.
We value cheap pleasures over long-term enjoyment. We register boredom as a threat because it invites thoughts we are desperately trying to avoid.
Constant stimulation and mindless consumption have become the norm in society.
If you are anything like me, this terrifies you.
I do not want to spend my life running away from problems, never feeling calm, and constantly chasing dopamine hits.
Brain Limits
The human mind can process 125 billion bits of information throughout an individual's life (conscious attention). That's probably around 50 bits per second.
Some portion of the processing power goes to everyday tasks like cooking, driving, and showering. Even when those tasks are automatic, they still require our attention in some sense.
This means we have a limited amount of attention we can use toward doing the things we want to do.
The only thing you have control over in this world is focus: what you consume, how you interpret it, and in what way you are going to use it.
In my opinion, the best way to invest your conscious attention is building a life you enjoy.
Pleasure ≠ Enjoyment
"So I should just eliminate everything that feels good?"
No.
Actually, we should strive to do the opposite.
Let's look at the difference between pleasure and enjoyment.
Pleasure:
intense
fast (short)
comes from consuming
requires more each time
leaves you empty afterward
Examples: porn, sugar, scrolling, hype music, shopping for a dopamine hit.
Enjoyment:
deep
slow (long-lasting)
doesn't require more
comes from being and creating
Examples: clean meals, walks, working out, time with friends, finishing a project.
Pleasure causes a nervous system spike and then a crash. Enjoyment means a calm nervous system. It increases with time.
If you go to the gym, it gets better the longer you do it.
But scrolling gets worse the longer you do it.
We are trying to make everything feel good, not just the external stimulation.
The goal should then be to reset your dopamine baseline.
I hope this made it click.
What & How
Boredom is the gateway to novelty.
I like getting feedback fast.
That means I often do things other people might call "extreme." I advise you to do the same.
Start with this list:
No social media
No junk food
No porn
No masturbation
No binge-watching
Replace those with:
Reading
Clean meals
Working out
Time with loved ones
Journaling
Treat these as law for 30 days, then learn how to break it, not sooner.
It will be difficult at first. You might fail a few times.
Just keep going. I promise it's worth it.
Everyday things will start to feel exciting again. Your enjoyment from life will go to 100%.
Thank you for reading.
- Joni
BTW
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