I´ll try my hand at explaining why tolerance for crappy things in life works in reverse, ie the tenth crappy occurance is worse than the first. I think it has to do with the meaning we assign to the crap. If something happens once, it´s easy to think of it as a one-off: "yeah, it´s bad but it´s only going to be this one time so I can deal with it." As further occurances pile up we´re confronted by evidence that the situation is unlikely to improve, a conceptual shift that can edge us towards despair. It´s like going to the doctor and being told that we have an incurable illness. Anyway, that´s my take.
I think you might have nailed it. I almost wonder if we go through three phases: 1) "yeah, it's bad, but it might be a one-off, so let me just wait and see" 2) "ok, it's an enduring problem, so now I have to do something about it," 3) "I tried doing something about it, and it didn't work. So this is my life now."
This piece is a fascinating deep dive into the psychology of vacation, anxiety, and environmental influence on behavior. The exploration of "To-Do list living" and its self-perpetuating nature really hits home—how completing tasks doesn’t actually reduce the list, but expands it. The analogy of the Hydra is spot on.
Is this a problem? If so, can I do something about it?⁷ If the answer to either is No, the mind moves on.A great piece of advice.
I´ll try my hand at explaining why tolerance for crappy things in life works in reverse, ie the tenth crappy occurance is worse than the first. I think it has to do with the meaning we assign to the crap. If something happens once, it´s easy to think of it as a one-off: "yeah, it´s bad but it´s only going to be this one time so I can deal with it." As further occurances pile up we´re confronted by evidence that the situation is unlikely to improve, a conceptual shift that can edge us towards despair. It´s like going to the doctor and being told that we have an incurable illness. Anyway, that´s my take.
I think you might have nailed it. I almost wonder if we go through three phases: 1) "yeah, it's bad, but it might be a one-off, so let me just wait and see" 2) "ok, it's an enduring problem, so now I have to do something about it," 3) "I tried doing something about it, and it didn't work. So this is my life now."
This piece is a fascinating deep dive into the psychology of vacation, anxiety, and environmental influence on behavior. The exploration of "To-Do list living" and its self-perpetuating nature really hits home—how completing tasks doesn’t actually reduce the list, but expands it. The analogy of the Hydra is spot on.
Thanks Anton, I appreciate it and am glad you enjoyed it.