undefined | Better HN

0 pointsninkendo3y ago0 comments

What does that have to do with being “western”?

0 comments

the self-help and productivity genre does have a uniquely American bent (more so than Western I'd say), these blog posts always read like some form of digital Protestantism, they do love their busywork. Immediately jumping to thinking you're procrastinating, rather than say contemplating when you're not churning out one book per year is an attitude you won't find everywhere.

fleddr3y ago

I think this doesn't do the intentions of the author much justice. He clearly explained how his addictions destroyed his ability to focus on any task at all, no matter how much value you place on that task.

Reading a book or watching a TV series uninterrupted are hardly ambitious or productive tasks, yet entire generations now can't focus on such "lengthy" task.

coliveira3y ago

I say this is bogus, anyone can still read a book that is interesting. The problem is that most people are not exposed to interesting books anymore, since most books published in the last few years are undeserving of attention. I tell this for personal experience, when I find a book that grabs my attention I can spend several hours reading, but most books don't even deserve 15 min. My strategy is to spend more time researching things that I like and really want to read.

leobg3y ago

Well put. That focus on “productivity” also has something of what Nietzsche called the “slave mentality”. That belief that you’re worth only what you produce, like a cow. I actually subscribe to this reductionist belief myself in many ways - but it’s an easy target to feel smug about when reflected back by somebody else out there preaching it as gospel.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse