Sunday, November 21, 2021

Distractions

These days we see people so glued to to their phone-screens that they walk across traffic without looking and even drive that way. Talk about risky behavior. The phenomenon causes me to examine why humans act this way. Here's what I'm learning.

Distraction is a way to avoid existential anxiety. Kierkegaard wrote "anxiety is the dizziness of freedom."

Humans are ambivalent about being free. On one hand we claim "I want to be free" but when we are free, it feels metaphorically like we don't have gravity. As a result, many people attach balls and chains to their lives so they don't have to experience freedom. Focusing on phone 'gram/games when you should be attuned to your physical environment is a symptom of this modern ailment.

My suggestion -- resist! Be consciously aware of your life as it slides by. There's pleasure in paying attention. And wisdom, too.



6 comments:

  1. I tend to call these people 'phone zombies'.

    ReplyDelete
  2. With things get tough, I think I can see the attraction of distraction (apologies for the rhyme). But maybe it's about context: not walking in the street - or worse, driving - with your phone, or not engaging with the issue that's affecting you.

    Plus, if you're looking at your phone, are you enjoying the sky, trees, people passing you, etc? I think there's a lot to be paid about being in the moment. Enjoying your food, the walk, where you are, maybe being pain free, or the luxury of time. Lots of little things that your may not get from the endless scrolling content.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly. We should savor our experiences, not check out from them.

      Delete
  3. It saddens me when I see people glued to their screen. Screen/Phone addictions are particularly dangerous when it comes to traffic.
    I agree with you that people are afraid of freedom. Freedom scares people because it means they need to be responsible for themselves. It is interesting how many people aren't comfortable being with themselves. They cannot stand to be left alone with their mind, so they are constantly looking for distractions.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Insightful, introspective post, my dear friend. I could not agree more and am hugely in favour of slow living, which I've been striving to embrace all the more with each passing year (if not day).

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

    ReplyDelete