Thoughts on anti-consumerism and controlling the urge to acquire toys:
Often the question shouldn’t be, “Which one of these should I buy?” Or “Which is the best value for me?”, but instead “Do I even need this thing in the first place?”
I spent the better part of an hour searching for a good game to install on my tablet, even tried one for a few minutes before uninstalling it. I could’ve avoided this if I listened to my gut, that I don’t enjoy time-wasting games any more. I like to feel productive and I feel mobile games are generally the antithesis of productivity. I wouldn’t call this time exactly wasted, because I had this insight for this journal. It’s also worth noting that there is a risk of being too strict/inflexible/stubborn and missing out on trying new things that may actually benefit me. Perhaps a mobile game allows me to relax or takes my mind off of work, and this is a benefit somehow. Perhaps that isn’t a good example, but at least being measured about the decision to research “stuff” is a good position to take. More mindful of potentially redundant research and decision making.
Stoicism
I watched some videos on journaling (something I’m interested in doing more of, and obviously doing now), which led me to videos on stoicism. I feel that I’m somewhat objective, or at least try to be, and stoicism strikes me as the more proactive pursuit of this in a way. I think I’ll look more into stoicism, perhaps more videos or books, and see if it’s something I wish to draw from for my own life. I find the idea of conscious discomfort interesting, like taking cold showers (something I did for a short time) in order to prepare for a time when that hardship is not a choice and to appreciate the comforts we currently have.