Why Does Daydreaming Get Such a Bad Rap? Apparently, there are several benefits to be had from some good time-wasting, er, daydreaming: relaxation, managing conflicts, maintaining relationships, boosting productivity, "cementing" one's beliefs and values, boosting creativity and relieving boredom. Swell.
Cementing one's beliefs does not sound like a benefit to me at all. St. Augustine writes in Against the Academics:
"What the wise man maintains and follows he should hold not only with qualification but also steadfastly."
What a bunch of crap! I prefer some kind of pluralism or fallabilism to being an ass about my so-called beliefs. Recall what Mr. Keenan says about beliefs, i.e., that they are "dangerous" and "allow the mind to stop functioning." Even good old Thoreau doesn't necessarily claim that we should cement our beliefs, only that we should always act consistently with them.
But I ramble. And I have to rest for my 13-14 hour drive Friday to the East Coast. For someone with ADD -- like me -- this news of daydreaming not being such a bad thing is welcome information. I'd hate to think that I'm doing something harmful to myself during most of my "waking" hours. Now, if only I could score me some of that "boosted productivity," I'd be in good shape.
November 17, 2004
Daydreaming: Not so bad?
Why Does Daydreaming Get Such a Bad Rap? Apparently, there are several benefits to be had from some good time-wasting, er, daydreaming: relaxation, managing conflicts, maintaining relationships, boosting productivity, "cementing" one's beliefs and values, boosting creativity and relieving boredom. Swell.
Cementing one's beliefs does not sound like a benefit to me at all. St. Augustine writes in Against the Academics:
"What the wise man maintains and follows he should hold not only with qualification but also steadfastly."
What a bunch of crap! I prefer some kind of pluralism or fallabilism to being an ass about my so-called beliefs. Recall what Mr. Keenan says about beliefs, i.e., that they are "dangerous" and "allow the mind to stop functioning." Even good old Thoreau doesn't necessarily claim that we should cement our beliefs, only that we should always act consistently with them.
But I ramble. And I have to rest for my 13-14 hour drive Friday to the East Coast. For someone with ADD -- like me -- this news of daydreaming not being such a bad thing is welcome information. I'd hate to think that I'm doing something harmful to myself during most of my "waking" hours. Now, if only I could score me some of that "boosted productivity," I'd be in good shape.
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2 comments:
Maynard is not to be trusted.
I love Tool and APC to death, but some of the guy's beliefs should be taken lightly. He's a God among his fans, but he's just another music icon to me. Nothing profound about his words.
Anything that allows your mind to think 'outside of the box' is progress.
Definitely, fans over-estimate the mental powers of Mr. Keenan (as Manson fans do, giving us all a bad name). But "thinking out of the box" is precisely what he is advocating in that essay and exactly what he thinks that stoutly-held beliefs prevent us from doing.
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