Victory Briefs

Share this post

Boredom? ADHD?

victorybriefs.substack.com

Discover more from Victory Briefs

Debate news, resources, and discussion by Victory Briefs
Over 11,000 subscribers
Continue reading
Sign in

Boredom? ADHD?

Victory Briefs
Nov 30, 1899
Share this post

Boredom? ADHD?

victorybriefs.substack.com
Share

John Plotz in the New York Times: Their Noonday Demons, and Ours

These days, when we try to get a fix on our wasted time, we use labels that run from the psychological (distraction, “mind-wandering” or “top-down processing deficit”) to the medical (A.D.H.D., hypoglycemia) to the ethical (laziness, poor work habits). But perhaps “acedia” is the label we need. After all, it afflicted those whose pursuits prefigured the routines of many workers in the postindustrial economy. Acedia’s sufferers were engaged in solitary, sedentary, cerebral effort toward a clear final goal — but a goal that could be reached only by crossing an open, empty field with few signposts. The empty field is the monk’s day of spiritual contemplation in a cell besieged by the demon acedia — or your afternoon in a coffee shop with tiptop Wi-Fi.

via

Share this post

Boredom? ADHD?

victorybriefs.substack.com
Share
Comments
Top
New
Community

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Leverage Debate LLC
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing