NEW VIDEO: I Quit MMOs and THIS Happened
Ikar
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Posts posted by Ikar
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Day 934:
I had English classes, worked out at the gym, prepared for my English classes and wrote the monthly report.
Day 935:
I went for a hike.
Day 936:
I worked on my Erasmus application and I visited my family.
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Slow days and fast days. Everything and nothing at the same time. The less I do, the less I want to do, especially if there's little/no progress. And the more I feel unfocused during the day and restless at the end of days.
For whatever reason, I think spending a whole day on a hike and then half a day with my family is just too much sitting on my ass and not doing anything productive. After these activities, I don't feel like working on anything in the evening.
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I'm using the template I used the last time. 14/10/21 - 19/11/21
"L" will stand for the (last) plan/notes for this term. "T" will stand for done this term.I added "Future goals/direction" to better reflect on the things I am trying to do and to add specificity. I will copy it and stick it somewhere where I can see it to remind myself whenever I feel aimless. I will also use different colors: blue for newly added goals/habits, green for completed/successful, orange for ongoing/some progress and red for ones I haven't worked on in that period.
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Active writing (blog/writings/journal):L: I've been writing to one friend, exchanging a lot of ideas together, however I don't think there's any novel thought in that I could extrapolate from and write here. No progress on my blog.
T: I've only been actively writing here on GQ to a few other journals/topics and my own diary. Nothing more than that.
Possible direction/goals:
Finish Past Authoring and the whole course.
Write on my blog.
Work on "Breaking Free Exercises" from the NMMNG book.
Keep writing in my diary here twice a week.
Books/Reading articles:
L: I read a part of Solzhenitsyn's "Gulag Archipelago" I wanted to read for a while. Other than that, just the newsletters.
T: I've not been reading anything much, only the occasional newsletter. I only watched a few lectures with Thomas Sowell.
Possible direction/goals:
Continue getting through the newsletters.
Family:
L: I've noticed that my mom is making effort to get closer to me, however I feel fairly indifferent towards her. I am not sure whether I feel that way because my brother and I learnt as kids to get by without her support to a large extent or whether it's just too early for me to buy into that she's making a turn to become more family-oriented, but I just don't seem to care so far.
T: The last four weeks, my mom was in the spa and I drove her back home on Wednesday. I told her I see the effort with her trying to be closer to us and I told her that I appreciate it. It's been pretty standard going with the rest of my family. Just wrote my brother to meet up for sushi next week too. I feel quite good about the situation in the family at the moment.
Possible direction/goals:
Continue working on bettering the relationships with my family.
University:
L: The uni situation is a lot more interesting now! More things to do, assignments to finish... Some of the classes are fairly interesting and entertaining, the other ones are the same tedium as they've always been.
T: The uni's been in full swing. So far, I/we have been nailing the assignments without much trouble. I did a bit of brainstorming with a few people about the master's thesis and got some ideas for it.
Possible direction/goals:
Find more sources for my upcoming masters' thesis.
Work on the assignments in a timely manner.
Exercise/movement:
L: I usually make it to gym at least twice a week, on top of cycling a bit if I have in-person classes and the odd walk if I have more free time. I still feel the back from time to time from sitting too much due to work though.
T: This month has been slower, yet every week I went at least once for a walk and at least once to the gym.
Possible direction/goals:
Keep in shape.
English:
L: I am currently working with 20-25 hours of English per week and I'm not interested in taking up more courses, because I wouldn't have the time for them anyway. I'm also meeting my English teacher/friend every Tuesday in the class, so it's perfect to have the inspiration at hand.
T: I met with a guy about my age running a very small-scale language school with a few friends/part-time workers, so there's some inspiration for me to do something a little bit different from what I do now.
Possible direction/goals:
Look into strategies in becoming truly self-employed by skipping the agencies in between.
I am going to pursue closer co-operation with my English mentor.
I am going to check out a few more seminars on how to run online courses.
Women/dating:
L:
SpoilerI learnt that perhaps I do not have as hard-core of a monogamous mentality as I thought I would have. I'm also probably more aware than ever that everybody is fucked up, including myself. There are a few women I could think of in the romantic plane in my area. I don't think it makes much sense to be writing about specific women though. I came to the realization that planning in this area is usually cumbersome and counterproductive.
I cut one of the relationships, did sex and I'm keeping my eyes peeled.
I was predicting the change in my sexual mindset and behavior for a long time. I behaved and acted in line with it. I just needed the reality to catch up on it; similarly to that when I was gaming, I got fired from the post office several days after I quit gaming, because most of my (unsatisfactory) work there was done when I was still gaming.
In the past, I believe I looked at the more obvious sexual displays of others with both distaste and envy at the same time. Especially when I thought that I have no other option than to sit and do nothing or to get drunk and hope that something happens. It just took some time to internalize that the thing standing between me and a good (even if only sexual) relationship with a woman is... me.
As long as there are two consenting adults, whatever goes. Whether it's a good idea or not is another question (given the circumstances), but I won't villanify that behavior a priori anymore.
That said, a horrible relationship is better than none at all. The cataclysmic end of my last one was likely the trigger for me to quit games for good. Nothing is forcing anyone to stay and die in a horrible relationship, except the lack of options in one's head. (December)
I learnt a lot about the sexuality of women over the past few weeks by spending time with the Spanish girl. I learnt a bunch about my sexuality as well. I also learnt relationships can be more nuanced. It's been a great learning experience so far. (January/February)
I've spent about two months with the Spanish girl and this morning she left home for three weeks, after which she should come back. I feel that she's into me, that she cares about me and that she doesn't want to lose me (be it to another relationship or due to some quarrel between us, though I find the latter less likely), though at the same time I feel we both want to assert ourselves to leave other options available. In my case to find someone more "permanent" to date/be together with, because I know she'll be gone in the summer. In her case it's different relationship philosophy and uniqueness of every relationship.
To explain that further, she actually encouraged me to meet other girls to see what might come out of it, which is generally something I am not 100% confident at and could use some practice in. Regardless, despite our differences, I feel that we're willing to respect each other and not argue about them. (March)
We had a few talks together with the Spanish girl and decided we wouldn't carry on with the sexual element in our relationship. It was the first time for her trying to amalgamate sexual and affectionate relationship into one and the second time for me. I decided to take her for her word and not to push her into something she doesn't want or isn't sure about. I sensed/noticed that it's not the first time she's having difficulty in continuing the relationship in the current setting. I think that a part of good relationship is the ability to respect "no" as a "no" and it's definitely one of the things I want in all my relationships that go deeper.
I'm actually somewhat surprised by how romantic the relationship has come to be. I think we are both considerate of each other and already value each other to go through this in an abrupt or otherwise bad way. I feel a sense of loss in a way, but I think various factors chimed in to dampen it. Besides, I have learnt a lot about various sexual topics and I grew more confident in this regard. It's very liberating to be playful and inventive too!
This one is actually only a few days old, but I do feel attracted to one girl and I want to have sex with her, although I don't think something long-term could come out of it due to the factual differences that we have. Hooray for being human! (April)
We've been flirting and dancing around around with the girl from April. I told her we're gonna do something together after I am done with the finals and I want to keep that promise. I'm not 100% sure if it's the right move, but I'm gonna take the opportunity regardless. (May)
There are some situations with the girl where we do get close, although from some situations I also understand that I don't want to be too closely involved with her and neither does she. Though I like her physically and I think she's aiming at good things in life, I feel she constantly needs to put herself in messy/highly emotional situations and states. I can joke about it and laugh it off with her as her friend, but it'd be very different if I decided to be a more unpredictable variable in her life.
That doesn't mean random and unpredictable sex can't happen. The last week I had sex with a friend from the dorms I've known for over a year. We were both tipsy, though I think we were both surprised how that evening ended up happening.
I've been having thoughts about the time with the Spanish girl, meaning there could still be something I need to decode. I didn't talk to her before she left to Spain about a month ago and nor I gave her the letter I wrote and planned to give her. Regardless, I've thought about the topic myself. I found that the main idea is to take it as it is, regardless of what the reasons of her sudden April "cut" were. I also believe that sometimes the more loving and more courageous decision is to walk away to prevent more hurt and pain, whether due to toxicity (my X) or time constraints (Spanish girl?). One of the things that "got" me closer together to her was the care. She really did care for me as my mom or grandma would, which I noticed when she was adamant about the fact I needed to see the doctor. The fact that we could also agree to disagree was amazing as well. Lastly, she did catalyze more effort from my side to get to know my family better and closer.
Talking to one of my friends, she said the average masturbation for her is better than the average sex. I found that quite surprising, as I've never thought that would be the case for anyone.
To end on a good note, I met an interesting girl yesterday in the evening and wrote her on Messenger today. I really should meet even more new people. We'll see what comes out of this. (June/July)
I noticed that I am thinking more outside of my head about this topic and around friends which is good. (August/September)
I'm fairly positive I am making progress in this area. It's really only about having the guts to say hi and then making the ask to meet. It needs to become the routine, if I want to have some control over this aspect of my life. The end-result doesn't actually matter. And I'm aware I will make mistakes, get myself in stupid situations, get used and whatnot, but it's all in the game. I'm fairly adamant and determined in this. I've done a lot of scouting recently, so I got some "hard data" on a few girls I was interested in. (September/October)
To put a real example here, I'm currently making an effort to find dates and a girlfriend. I met a girl last Monday, had a good chat with her for a while, wrote her to meet up and she agreed. Five minutes into the second meeting, I found out she had a boyfriend, yet I didn't just turn around on my heel, as I promised her a walk around the city she doesn't know. I spent some two hours with her, had a good conversation with her, found out she's a good speaker and discussed some views on philosophy and politics.
The advice I could take from this regarding my dating life: Be more aware of social situations when I am first interacting with a girl I like and be better at scouting to find out whether she's already seriously dating someone or not. Then again, I got something I wasn't expecting but is valuable as well: thinking about reconsidering some of my life views through a good debate.
All in all, it's impossible to answer the question: Was it a success or a failure? Well, It depends on how I choose to look at it.
T: I've been meeting one girl for about a month now, both in a planned way but also running into her randomly. She seems shy, a maverick/lone-wolf to a great extent, but also quite honest. I think it's gonna be interesting. Gonna meet her on Monday and do something together again.
Possible direction/goals:
Set up at least two dates a month.
Friends (men/women):
L: A few guys and I formed a gym group, for which I am fairly happy and they're a good bunch to talk to, joke around and hang out with.
T: One of the guys I've met at the geographers' meetup was quite interesting and I think we had good connection, although we're not gonna see very often, because we live in different cities. Made some time to meet in a coffee shop with one of my female friends too.
Future goals/direction:
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Additional thoughts:
The Wire is a great series!
The geographers' meeting was nice, though nobody has any idea when will the next one be.
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SECTION REMOVED - to make the report less cluttered and easier to read.
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Day 938:
I did the laundry, worked on a school project, prepared for English classes, wrote here and met with a friend in the evening.
Day 939:
I worked on a school project, visited my family and played billiard in the evening.
Day 940:
I had English classes, uni classes and went for a walk with a friend.
Day 941:
I had English classes and a social evening.
Day 932:
I picked my mom up from the spa, spent some time with my family and did some minor things during the rest of the day.
Day 933:
I had English classes, washed the dishes and went to an English speaking event in the evening for a while.
Day 934:
Today - TBA.
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I've been feeling fairly lazy the past week or so, but after I finish my classes this afternoon, I'm gonna work out, work on the monthly report and do preparation for English classes the next week.
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On 11/15/2021 at 3:05 PM, BooksandTrees said:
What's got you going to porn even though you're in a relationship? I noticed my pirn usage dropped to historic lows for me since building a relationship.
I haven't watched anything resembling porn for a long time either. It just feels the more I am in the real world, the less I need to fantasize about unreal things. I've actually always found the idea of porn kinda funny, thanks to the disjointed concept of those situations.
On 11/16/2021 at 5:11 AM, Pochatok said:Hmmm, I do agree with your last point quite a bit, but it doesn't motivate me enough most of the time lol. These past few months I've discovered that in order for me to fully be interested in something, it has to have a strong purpose in my life- a set of goals, aspirations, and a deep understanding of the subject. Else, I don't feel like it really "matters". There are downsides to this thinking, but it offers some valuable benefits. I think that your thinking process is highly beneficial too, just not for my lazy butt lol.
I mean, if I am driven to do something, I don't need goals or some arbitrary metrics to measure it - I just do it. I'm really not a fan of planning anything else besides my work-time. I think it's all good, as long as I don't end up overdoing something.
On 11/15/2021 at 3:08 AM, Pochatok said:Gonna let out some steam, so feel free to skip this lol. I was having dinner with my partner and their friends, and one of them (let's name them Ruby) seemed to be not feeling well. Now, they are younger than me and my partner, and are not yet fully understanding the how-to's of taking care of other people. They asked Ruby just once how they were feeling, and after getting a mild "okay" they proceeded with their own business. I just felt really uncomfortable, because it was difficult to see everyone having a good time BUT Ruby, and noone caring enough to give them a helping hand. Including me- I wish I got up and talked to them for a bit, because I am really not sure what is daunting Ruby.
It's upsetting how easily some people can dismiss others' troubles to avoid sacrificing their own good time. People do say that I am too self-less when it comes to resolving issues like this, but I still feel like this could have been handled better.Just texted them, feeling a bit better haha. The simple act of offering help makes all the difference.
I can see you are quite a compassionate person from what I've read. I think that I am not - I am more of an honest asshole. Here's my perspective on the situation:
a) I don't think age has much to do with how compassionate or considerate people are. What can be learnt is to be watchful and observant of other people and notice things about them. Then one can act upon them or let them be.
b) I take people for their word. If someone tells me that they are doing fine, I believe them. If someone wants me to "extract" their worries or problems out of them, I'm very unlikely to be around long for them to do that, especially if it's someone I don't know closely. On the other hand, I also understand if they don't want to share the problem in a group of people they don't know either, because who wants to be a center of attention for their problems.
c) People are primarily responsible for their own problems and how do they go around solving them. I believe the primary program for most people is "I want X, so I go get X." and not "I want X, so I hope others will somehow notice the hints I give them and help me get X."
The bottom-line is, the situation is about YOU. YOU feel better after sending that text and shaking off the unease of not acting on your gut feeling earlier.
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11 hours ago, BooksandTrees said:
If I'm feeling restless and jittery I propose exercising right after work and then showering to clear the mind and body. If I'm exhausted then I propose a small nap and then decide after.
11 hours ago, BooksandTrees said:I can decide on creative hobbies or routine hobbies after. It's easier to masturbate and play video games but they've not served us well and I need some stability now that I'm not studying anymore.
5 hours ago, BooksandTrees said:I dealt with boredom by talking to friends on the phone and watching hockey. I realized that hobbies aren't jobs and I frequently treat them like jobs. I'm allowed to do them when I want and not feel huge obligations.
It's okay to feel a bit out of place after finishing a long-term project. I felt like that after finishing my thesis and final exams. It will take you a few days to adapt. Myself, I'm feeling somewhat lazy the past few days, but then again, I don't feel anything really chasing me to the point of driving me anxious either. The main thing is to not overdo anything to my detriment.
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18 hours ago, BooksandTrees said:
That happened to me and I took some time away from here but I came back. It happens.
I posted in a few people's topic around GQ, it's just that I don't find there's much to comment on my own life. It could be because I talk about stuff with people IRL, bounce the ideas back and forth and then there's no need to report on them here. Regardless, I always find a few minutes a week at least to put in a few lines about what I did.
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Day 933:
I had English classes, uni classes and played table football in the evening.
Day 934:
I had English classes and a social evening.
Day 935:
I had English classes, went to the gym and went for a walk with a girl in the evening.
Day 936:
I had English classes and a social evening.
Day 937:
I had English classes, went to the gym, worked a bit on a school project and had a relaxed day.
Day 938:
Today - TBA.
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I have not been writing much here. Mostly because things are going fine as they are. I'm quite enjoying the presence of multiple people in my life currently, both men and women and both new and old. The uni's been fine as well as English teaching. Gonna work on the monthly report soon too.
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Welcome to the forums!
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On 11/8/2021 at 10:32 PM, Pochatok said:
Ahh, just noticed that I totally missed this reply! I think that I generalize "work" as anything that needs to be done that I am not feeling super passionate about. For the most part, those things are very valuable, like getting better at my campus jobs (which are good resume builders) or doing homework. But, not so many of them are fun in their process- the end goal might be rewarding, but the path there is long and rough.
I see, I think we all have issues with that from time to time. Then again, I think it's important to take the chill pill sometimes and not sweat things too much. I can't imagine a single area in which my life couldn't be better, but I feel fine with most of them as they are. I'll focus on them once I feel they are becoming more change-relevant.
On 11/8/2021 at 10:32 PM, Pochatok said:Going home changes the responsibilities I have quite a bit- rather than doing a lot of thinking-heavy tasks, I am more focused on physical and emotional tasks, like walking the dogs, doing dishes, cleaning up the house, and taking care of my siblings. I think it is highly relaxing in smaller quantities as it allows my brain to relax and focus on myself and my immediate surroundings more. I also enjoy doing physical labour-heavy work.
I actually enjoy doing household chores, such as washing the dishes or doing the laundry. The occasional gym is also good. Cleaning I'll live with, haha.
On 11/8/2021 at 10:32 PM, Pochatok said:However, this was my perspective a few weeks ago. Since then, I've improved my goal setting ability and worked on mindfullness under more stressful conditions, and have been able to enjoy work and be more effective with it more. I still have trouble enjoying it as much as I do my hobbies, but I certainly find the process more rewarding.
It's funny, but in a way I believe everything I do needs to be done anyway! I think that's why I made the "future direction" section in my monthly report. I can track how my goals evolve in all the relevant categories and also to give me ideas where to start at some point in the future.
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On 10/29/2021 at 1:59 PM, Loftyerd said:
He had attempted suicide in August after losing access to them for breaking the rules around time limits.
Severe addictions very often have this life/death quality. A friend of my father once threw out his 25 year-old son on the street, because he wasn't doing anything else besides gaming and eating. His son got his stuff together, got a job and a place to live, but there was no guarantee that he would not just become a homeless junkie.
14 hours ago, BooksandTrees said:I suggest doing research with your son on what his cravings are, why he likes to game, and figuring out ways to substitute gaming.
I gamed out of loneliness, tracking progress on stats, escaping bullies, hiding from parental abuse and neglect, and having a sense of control in my life.
I replaced it by doing therapy, group sports, professional organizations related to work, being more involved at work, and building friendships through hobbies.
As @BooksandTreeshas pointed out above, what you need to figure out is why your son attempted suicide and help him work on these areas. Excessive gaming is a symptom, not the root issue.
14 hours ago, BooksandTrees said:I'm sorry to sound cynical but I don't think doctors relate gaming to the same style of addiction as gambling, drugs, drinking, sex, and porn. But it is.
I don't think it's cynical. I think it's true.
On 10/29/2021 at 1:59 PM, Loftyerd said:We also found out he is on the autistic spectrum and the screen (unfortunately) is his “preferred activity”.
If the "screen" is his preferred activity, it doesn't mean he can't do other things. Plus "screen" doesn't necessarily equal "gaming". He can do other things on the computer too. In my case, while I was gaming, I learnt English on such a level that it led me to start teaching English. I tried to make the most out of a bad situation and two and a half years later, I can surely say I am in a better place.
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Day 924:
I worked on a uni project, went for a walk, prepared for my English classes, watched "The Wire", cleaned my room, washed the dishes and went out in the evening.
Day 925:
I prepared for my English classes, visited my family, changed the tires on my car, got a haircut and watched "The Wire".
Day 926:
I had English classes, uni classes, went to the gym and went outside with a girl in the evening.
Day 927:
I had English classes, a uni class, did the laundry, went for a walk and had a social evening.
Day 928:
I had English classes and a social evening.
Day 929 - Day 932:
I went for a trip to Bohemia with people from the geography group.
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Day 918:
I worked on a school project, visited my family, did a few chess puzzles and played billiard in the evening.
Day 919:
I had English classes, uni classes, worked out at the gym and had a social evening.
Day 920:
I had English classes, had a geography group meeting and had a social evening.
Day 921:
I had English classes, wrote here, went for a walk and had a social evening.
Day 922:
I had English classes, wrote friends, had a nap, played football, relaxed and watched "The Wire" in the evening.
Day 923:
I had English classes, wrote friends, went to the gym, did some paperwork and watched "The Wire". I'm gonna have a relaxed evening.
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My friend invited a lot of new people to the billiard and the evening was quite interesting.
I've been playing quite a bit of table football recently and I can say I'm quite okay at it now.
I could've gone out with friends on Thursday (yesterday) as well, however I decided to not push myself, as I was tired from all the previous days I've been out.
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On 10/25/2021 at 5:03 AM, Pochatok said:
Not much from this week; it has been fairly productive and fun overall, I've enjoyed visiting my family during break and am a bit unexcited about coming back to school since its *work*, but thinking of my class projects does get me excited- they're going to be a lot of fun 🙂
What's your relationship with "work"? Do you find it in some way inferior to the other parts of your life?
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22 hours ago, Gundham said:
Hobbies are nice, but they just do not have the right... boom shaka-laka in them. Life feels like something lived to be preserved, not like something i really want to push towards the future. I need some form of development, creation, movement, speed, stuff like that, but i just cant link it to my feelings, to what i really want.
I think there are some hobbies that can make me thrilled while I do them, e.g. paintball/shooting, paragliding, even dancing in some cases. Life is both about being in the moment and doing something for the future.
22 hours ago, Gundham said:I also feel betrayed from being given sense of freedom that i cant utilize, because nobody told me there are rules i need to fulfill to be able to embrace the freedom in the first place. So in the process of adjusting to the rules i kind of neglected the process of sorting out what do i actually want to do with my freedom.
I think a lot of the people today do not understand/appreciate the fact that they need to follow some rules to be free. I don't think that these rules are something necessarily unnatural or inhumane. It makes sense that once I make money through work, then I can use my non-work time for relaxation or other hobbies. While this makes working a necessity (for most people anyway), it doesn't mean they have to be in a job that they hate/dislike and run it counter to their hobbies which they enjoy. I don't hate eating what I eat, so it makes sense I don't hate working my job. Moreover, the fact I choose to spend my time makes my hobbies and work equally important for my life.
22 hours ago, Gundham said:@IkarI also stumbled again upon this comment and you talking about relationships in your own diary and I feel similar to development in this department... Again it is like part of me wants good sex with all the partners, other part is just happy with the one relationship i actually do have, other part just likes to chill with women and discuss the matters from different perspective then I usually do with men... I just get lost with what to listen to. And it is getting more noisy last few days over meeting a girl I find myself very interested in recently.
I see. I believe I could have good sex and a relationship with a lot of women. I don't think I've ever wanted to have sex with more women while I already had a relationship with sex. I could appreciate that the other girl was beautiful and that I even had some ideas about her in the past, but my curiosity in other women just sharply declined once I was "with" one.
Regarding listening to people: listen to yourself and do yourself. Even if you do something idiotic, at least it was your idea and you can learn from it directly. If somebody else tells you something that is fucked up, the lesson you learn is to listen to and believe yourself more anyway.
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6 hours ago, Amphibian220 said:
Another necessary stressor for all of us is the physical. Something like a cold shower or a workout that mimics survival mode.
But Unfortunately, society aims to eradicate that and puts immense efforts to that effect. It aims to replicate its own function within its subjects. People must be as passive as possible, their conversations and interests dictated by popular media, never questioning the foundations of society. Society can’t accept another Napoleon in our midst. Way too dangerous. But that way we will become too fragile.
I think the main idea is that the society is already well-off enough so that a lot of the people do not experience "physical stress/survival" situations unless they absolutely want to, but I think on the whole the humanity is becoming more complacent and fragile. There's still plenty of "psychological stress/survival" situations around and I think there will always be though.
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1 hour ago, mrmmartin said:
@Ikar Thanks! Yeah I've never really thought of it like that. Sadly I've almost treated friendships as a transaction as of late, that both parties need to put in to benefit. Which I guess is not entirely incorrect, no one wants to be used. But, I think you are right in saying that you don't exactly need to share hobbies to have a meaningful friendship.
I agree with you. Myself, I begin to trust people when I know that I can rely on them that it usually takes some time, but after that I believe that there are few people that I would do anything for.
1 hour ago, mrmmartin said:Nice to finally chat to you Ikar your game quitting streak is very impressive. Keep up the good work.
Haha, I'm happy you took some time to go through my posts! 🙂
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On 10/22/2021 at 12:00 PM, mrmmartin said:
Average day, cramming some study in late tonight. I've organised a lot of meetings that I have for next week. My results came in today, they were not the best but I passed everything so I can finally casual teach. I just need my accreditation to be processed, exciting times ahead. It's so funny though that even though I have achieved something I have been trying to achieve for like 4 years you always push the bar further, it's actually insane.
Good job!
On 10/22/2021 at 12:00 PM, mrmmartin said:I haven't really talked to a lot of my friends that I played games with. I might try reach out and try build those relationships around other hobbies.
Try it, if you know them in person. I'd argue I just use the social hobby in order to connect with the other person, because overall I think the "factual" things like sharing hobbies are not that important for a meaningful relationship. I think being able to relate to and sympathizing with other people on a mental level is far more conductive (talking about opinions, experiences, feelings) for creation of such relationships.
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On 10/17/2021 at 7:33 AM, ChewyChickenBones said:
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” - Viktor Frankl
I watched a video about the components of happiness (in a video about personal finance, strangely enough) and it's probably why Frankl was able to get by the horrors of concentration camps. Feeling in control of our lives by choosing our responses is way more important than the place or stage we are in.
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Day 916:
I had English classes, researched the Erasmus+ project, rode the bike a bit, wrote my friends, washed the laundry and watched "Lord of War".
Day 917:
I read some uni papers, worked on a uni project, did a bit of chess, watched some videos about WWII, washed the dishes, read a bit about personal finance, read some of my old texts/notes and started watching "The Wire".
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This is a rare post, as I stumbled upon here after a slow, yet restorative day. I am somewhat physically limited at the moment, as I can feel some pain in my throat, so I didn't even go outside, to the gym or to plant trees at an uni event (which was the original plan for today) and stayed put the whole day.
Having this unusually slow day, I decided I'd look after my shelved texts, hobbies and projects which sparked some ideas in my head and was fun as well. I ordered a book I had a good laugh reading over five years ago. I re-watched a video about the relationship money and time have in our lives. I also realized that I have a lot of work to do with my English-teaching business, university, family, dating... but today, I decided to relax, to appreciate the progress and to be grateful for all the progress I've made.
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On 10/13/2021 at 7:11 PM, Ikar said:
1)
I do not think success itself is the driver most people follow. I think most people want to avoid feeling bad, so they are loss-averse by nature. I don't think I've ever met anyone who likes to lose, make mistakes etc. I think what happens with us in games overall is this: There is a way to eliminate failure. Some games allow for that, others do not.
I can't possibly "permanently lose" e.g. a Pokémon Crystal game - if I get beat, I lose some money, but my Pokémons are still the same, nobody takes them away from me and I can always go back to the start and beat level 2 Caterpies and ask for pocket money from your in-game mom.
It was more difficult with games like XCOM or FTL, because there was a chance I just lost no matter what I did and because they are RNG games to a great degree, but most of the time my decisions mattered and I could influence the fate of the game-play. The same goes towards online games like HS too - sometimes my opponent got the perfect cards and I lost.
And all of the above, I can track pretty well, either through in-game statistics or through spreadsheets, the options are endless. The idea that games provide "constant measurable progress" is in some of Cam's GQ videos. Mind you that too much success (and no challenge) leads to complacency, rigidity and ultimately downfall. There's no growth without pressure. The issue with real life is that it can't be put into numbers very easily.
2)
To put a real example here, I'm currently making an effort to find dates and a girlfriend. I met a girl last Monday, had a good chat with her for a while, wrote her to meet up and she agreed. Five minutes into the second meeting, I found out she had a boyfriend, yet I didn't just turn around on my heel, as I promised her a walk around the city she doesn't know. I spent some two hours with her, had a good conversation with her, found out she's a good speaker and discussed some views on philosophy and politics.
The advice I could take from this regarding my dating life: Be more aware of social situations when I am first interacting with a girl I like and be better at scouting to find out whether she's already seriously dating someone or not. Then again, I got something I wasn't expecting but is valuable as well: thinking about reconsidering some of my life views through a good debate.
All in all, it's impossible to answer the question: Was it a success or a failure? Well, It depends on how I choose to look at it.
It's an interesting concept to cross-quote myself from a different topic. Some ideas:
A thought based on 1): Nobody really cares how many times I lose before I win. Except for me.
2) is a reminder for me to think about this text the next time I'm doing a monthly report.
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Day 909:
I prepared for my English classes, had a light workout, had a nap, worked on uni assignments, watched a few videos about nuclear energy and environmental sustainability, wrote here and went for a drink and a dance in the evening.
Day 910:
I worked on uni assignments, visited my family and worked out in the evening.
Day 911:
I had uni classes and English classes and a social evening.
Day 912:
I worked out, uni classes, English classes, watched a talk with Sowell about the philosophy of economics, washed the dishes and had a social evening.
Day 913:
I had English classes, went for a walk, did some shopping and had sushi with my brother.
Day 914:
I had English classes, watched another talk with Sowell, inflated my bike and went to an English speaking event in the evening.
Day 915:
Today - TBA.
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I'm in favor of nuclear energy, because it produces only a handful of waste that has to be safely stored. Compared to coal plants that just put the pollution into the air and take a heavy toll in strokes, respiratory illnesses and other diseases. Even the most advanced countries in the world are not able to go full renewable at this point and some are even closing down nuclear reactors to replace them with coal plants (Germany). Insanity.
I'm gonna get a passport. If I had a passport, I could've gone to an EU paid trip to Turkey on Sunday for a week with focus on online English teaching. I got to know that yesterday evening. Crazy.
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9 hours ago, Mohammad said:
Wow, you’ve been game free for 909 days!
how did you make this work?
I’ve tried for two years but it failed hard. Please give me some advice.Thanks
There have been times where I played less and when I was disgusted by gaming and where I felt it's not sustainable and was on and off about gaming. However it's not documented here, because I just haven't relapsed since I started writing the diary here.
I honestly feel like my life got a lot better since I stopped gaming and I live by that. I really got 8 hours of free time back on weekdays and 14 hours of free time on weekends. I tried to cut an hour or two from gaming before to study, exercise, do whatever, but it hasn't worked for me and I had to stop completely.
There are days where I feel like doing nothing or when I have too much free time, but then I just decide to sleep, go for a walk, have a shower, watch some lecture on YT or do some household chores. I've honestly never felt stressed out by life's events to get me back to gaming and I don't feel a pull to make it a hobby.
I also thought gaming was really the thing that kept me from more valuable things - success at work, at the university, in relationships. I actually broke up with my X a month before I quit gaming. I thought very heavily about that. I felt like I had nothing but gaming when I quit gaming. It's like when people quit smoking, because they got a heart attack, but they wouldn't do that before it happened.
I think that if you can half-ass gaming while still having decently healthy relationships/work/hobbies, then you are going to do that. Can you get your family/friends to support you with their care and maybe create some rewards for you if you stay away from gaming?
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Day 900:
I had English classes, went to the gym, went for a walk, went to an art exhibit where my mom had her paintings and attended the English event in the evening for a while.
Day 901:
I had English classes, went to my car mechanic, worked on a school project and went out with a girl I've met recently.
Day 902:
I cleaned my room, washed the dishes, visited my family and met up with my high-school classmates in the evening.
Day 903:
I had a solo English class, worked on my monthly report, worked out at the gym and played billiard in the evening.
Day 904:
I had English classes, had uni classes, read something about WWII, had a social evening and did some uni reading before sleep.
Day 905:
I had English classes, uni classes and a social evening.
Day 906:
I had English classes, watched a talk by Milton Friedman and wrote here/worked on my monthly report.
Day 907:
I had English classes, collected wood for a BBQ, finished my monthly report, watched a talk by Thomas Sowell and had a social evening.
Day 908:
I had English classes and went to the BBQ.
Day 909:
Today - TBA.
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21 hours ago, Amphibian220 said:
Hope your mother gets better,
Thanks.
21 hours ago, Amphibian220 said:Is swimming part of your fitness routine? I found from a range of articles that a well thought out swimming therapy can help with most back problems.
I want to start swimming, but am worried about swimming in a public swimming pool due to the Covid endemic.
The swimming pool is not too far from where I live and I've gone swimming before from time to time on my own, but at this point it's easier for me to jump into the gym without any travel time than to go through the hassle of walking/driving/cycling to the swimming pool and making my schedule to work with it. I'm gonna go for a walk/workout today, I went to the gym on Thursday but only for a while.
Ikar's Diary
in Daily Journals
Posted
Day 937:
I had English classes, uni classes and worked out at the gym.
Day 938:
I had English classes, did some work for the uni and had a social evening.
Day 939:
I had English classes, went to the gym, went for a short walk, went for sushi with my brother and had a social evening.
Day 940:
I had English classes, worked on the uni and had a short chat with a few people in the evening.
Day 941:
Today - TBA.
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So I'm done scouting one girl, found out that while she's fairly straightforward, she's the type to fuck first and unlikely to talk to later. I probably wouldn't have met her again if I trusted my gut after the first time we were outside, but I wanted to be sure because we did have fun after all. I dodged a bullet with that one, because I wouldn't want to be with anyone who is untrustworthy. I'm past chasing pussy for all the wrong reasons.
Coming to think of that, the only person I put some effort into knowing and building the tension prior to sleeping with her was my X, after about a month via online chatting. With others I just slept with randomly and then talked or built the tension for "nothing". It's a long road ahead of me to find the relationship that I want.