How Not To Listen

 Here are ten tips to listen. Reverse them to not listen:

1) Face the speaker – this form of body language shows attentiveness and respect

2) Maintain eye contact to the degree where everyone remains comfortable – this shows interest and places value on speaker

3) Minimize external distractions – stop everything and focus on the speaker and what is being said

4) Minimize internal distractions – clear the mind and bring attention back to the present moment (for tips on how to do this, click here)

5) Respond appropriately – nodding and saying “mmm-hmm” shows alertness and understanding

6) Focus solely on what is being said – this goes back to point #4 – clear thoughts and try not to think about what to say next

7) Keep an open mind – avoid assumptions and zone in on what is actually being said

8) Refrain from interrupting – waiting until the speaker is completely finished allows them to fully express themselves

9) Focus on what matters most – letting the speaker talk it out while listening attentively shows interest and acknowledgement

10) Engage – ask questions to get clarification but again, wait for the speaker to finish before doing so

To NOT listen, reverse it:

1. Face away from the person you don't want to listen to

2. Look away from a sound

3. Distract yourself externally

4. Distract yourself internally

5. Don't respond or else respond inappropriately

6. Don't focus on what is being said, or focus on what is not being said

7. Keep a closed mind

8. Interrupt a lot

9. Don't focus on what matters about a person, or focus on what doesn't matter about them

10. Disengage.

More techniques:

1. Don't show you are listening

2. Judge and be unempathic

3. Talk while the other person is talking

4. Be intentionally not present minded

5. Be self focused

Concrete habits of smart people

 1. Writing down your thoughts and ideas sometimes

2. Reading

3. Doing mental exercises to shake up your thinking, such as purposely drawing an ugly picture or purposely wasting 5 minutes

4. Studying foreign languages

5. Sitting quietly doing nothing sometimes

6. Intentionally going on adventures, either physically, mentally, spiritually, or emotionally

7. Seeking out mostly high quality information, such as New York Times or Wall Street Journal over National Enquirer

8. Occasionally looking at low quality information as well just for perspective

The person who starts a book isn't always the same as the person who finishes it.

 You can try really hard to stay true to the original author, or you can come up with something of your own... something great.

Arms race, much like what happens amongst superpowers, continues

 In the Pacific, the U.S. is arming a few islands as a show of solidarity to allies and a rallying point for continued attention from foes and friends. It will likely dissipate as forces ebb and flow and turn to other issues. 

This has been an edition of Boring News. We Unsensationalize News.

You can't put a limit on my Unlimited Sip Club!

 I know I like to think that I'm immune to the stuff, closer to the truth I say I can't get enough, I'm gonna have to face it I'm addicted to soda. I drank about 8 cans a day, plus two cups of coffee. I read Allen Carr's The Easy Way to Quit Caffeine, but I was treatment resistant. I talked to therapists, psychiatrists, family, friends, healers, and AA members. I was one of those unfortunate souls.

Then, I found the answer in the Unlimited Sip Club. They have a deal where you get Unlimited free soda and coffee for $10.99 a month. I signed up and saved 18 dollars a day, or about $328,000 dollars over my lifespan.

They don't like me too much over there, but I stuck it to the man.

Thinking inc.

Comment a thought of yours. I will think about it for at least 5 minutes undistractedly. I won't offer any advice, but I will process it in my mind.

What happened when I switched from soda and coffee to coffee alone

 I used to drink 8 diet cokes a day and 6 cups of coffee a day. I went cold turkey on the soda while keeping the coffee. I usually drink coffee black, so it's fairly healthy. Here is the breakdown of effects:

Day 0: I felt great, and my mood improved.

Day 1: I slept well last night.. I felt increased energy at noon. I'm a better conversationalist, and I'm content. I have slight withdrawal in the form of tiredness, mental fog, low motivation, and irritability now. That is coming from the absence of artificial sweeteners.

Day 2: I woke up and my mom offered me tea, perhaps because I didn't drink all of her sodas recently. My dad too was nice. I woke up at 7:30 AM instead of the usual 11 AM when I'm off from teaching. That's good because for someone like me who is completely insane, sleep hygiene is important. I drank another black coffee today, studied Yiddish and Spanish, meditated, and texted my fiancé. It's 9:18 AM.