On June 06 2011 20:12 Dieoxhide wrote: Hmm... sounds like social seclusion will not be a big problem for you.
If you really want to make an interesting study for someone with your mindset, you should really make the reverse experiment: not to be alone for a whole year. Try constantly and frequently to surround yourself with people and get as much human interaction done as possible. Experience how this affects you. Take notes about your mental health. Try to establish some fundamental principles of interaction in the different social processes in which you will partake, and see how these affects you, the people you are interacting with, as well as the whole situation at hand: your life?
My point is: it is not as interesting to study a person who already has anti-social tendencies to develop these further, as it is to study a person with anti-social tendencies trying to break these anti-social patterns of thought.
It will be a much bigger challenge, but I'll bet it will be more rewarding in the end - both for you personally, but much more importantly for science as well.
GLaDOS out!
(and good luck)
I also thought about this as well, but it would be quite difficult to suddenly make a horde of friends before such a thing. Not only that, but if there are more people that I familiarize myself nearby, it would be even harder for me to physically isolate myself from them also (not to mention there will be a lot of other inconveniences). However, I think even with the little social connections I have in this city at the moment, it would be quite different to have none for a year as compared to having some everyday to a certain degree.
Thank you for your input and I appreciate the suggestion, but when I first thought of this experiment, it was going to be more like a vow of silence for me for a year. This is just an extension of that in order to see what, if any, effects this could have on my mental health.
A lot of the people here seem worried, but this is much like the "vow of silence" that many religious people go through in order to obtain spiritual enlightenment. The practice is fairly common and as said before, if anything goes wrong, I can just start talking to people again.
It'd also be interesting to hear some thoughts from someone who's done a vow of silence or anything similar.
We'll all miss you munching hippo (you have a really cool name).
Oh by the way, as long as you're trying it, you may as well look into some of the spiritual enlightenment stuff. Eckhart Tolle is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in spirituality these days, I read a few of his books. One of the most prominent being Power of Now.
But what I would recommend, as does practically every spiritual teacher I've read or heard from, is to meditate. 15 minutes in the morning and evening should be enough (that's typically what I hear being recommended); just focus on your breath going in and out...and when you have thoughts, just refocus on your breathing and don't reprimand yourself for thinking too much otherwise it actually gives more power to your thinking.
From a medical perspective, I know that its supposed to create strong benefits for your mind and body, and from a spiritual one its supposed to aid in unlocking intuitive abilities and give you a sense of peace that will help you live in the world without being so strongly affected by your ego/ the fearful part of the spiritual you (some say it actually helps you communicate with spiritual guides...but I don't want to get too esoteric here).
Of course I'm not really certain whether the spiritual stuff is all true (although I do have some personal experiences with the spirit guide stuff that I feel is quite convincing), but its certainly worth a try since it doesn't conflict with your experiment, and can only lead to positive results.
Actually typing this now I'm motivated to try meditating again! Its tough at first, but apparently it gets easier and easier each time, just like with growing muscles.
On June 07 2011 03:36 radscorpion9 wrote: We'll all miss you munching hippo (you have a really cool name).
Oh by the way, as long as you're trying it, you may as well look into some of the spiritual enlightenment stuff. Eckhart Tolle is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in spirituality these days, I read a few of his books. One of the most prominent being Power of Now.
But what I would recommend, as does practically every spiritual teacher I've read or heard from, is to meditate. 15 minutes in the morning and evening should be enough (that's typically what I hear being recommended); just focus on your breath going in and out...and when you have thoughts, just refocus on your breathing and don't reprimand yourself for thinking too much otherwise it actually gives more power to your thinking.
From a medical perspective, I know that its supposed to create strong benefits for your mind and body, and from a spiritual one its supposed to aid in unlocking intuitive abilities and give you a sense of peace that will help you live in the world without being so strongly affected by your ego/ the fearful part of the spiritual you (some say it actually helps you communicate with spiritual guides...but I don't want to get too esoteric here).
Of course I'm not really certain whether the spiritual stuff is all true (although I do have some personal experiences with the spirit guide stuff that I feel is quite convincing), but its certainly worth a try since it doesn't conflict with your experiment, and can only lead to positive results.
Actually typing this now I'm motivated to try meditating again! Its tough at first, but apparently it gets easier and easier each time, just like with growing muscles.
Anyways, good luck!
Thanks for the optimism! It's interesting to see that you're the first one to think about the possible positive effects of doing this. Although my memories are vague on the details, I recall many religious practices much like this, involving social isolation, in order to obtain some form of spiritual enlightenment. However, many people tend to focus on the possible negative effects coming from this, and that's probably one of the questions I hope to answer from doing this.
Hmm... okay, now I see what you are looking for. But wouldn't it be better to find a place that was more isolated from other people? It may be easier to find inner peace in peaceful sorroundings than in the hustle and bustle of city life. And do you have certain spiritual beliefs that lies beneath this project?
I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers. A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will. Solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intervene between a man and his fellows. The really diligent student in one of the crowded hives of Cambridge College is as solitary as a dervish in the desert. The farmer can work alone in the field or the woods all day, hoeing or chopping, and not feel lonesome, because he is employed; but when he comes home at night he cannot sit down in a room alone, at the mercy of his thoughts, but must be where he can "see the folks," and recreate, and as he thinks remunerate himself for his day's solitude; and hence he wonders how the student can sit alone in the house all night and most of the day without ennui and "the blues"; but he does not realize that the student, though in the house, is still at work in his field, and chopping in his woods, as the farmer in his, and in turn seeks the same recreation and society that the latter does, though it may be a more condensed form of it.
He actually describes it as something healthy, but I don't know if he is painting a neat picture here that is mostly to his own liking - probably not, though.
You can actually live a while in complete solitude even in the middle of a city. You can order groceries online, I know a lot of people that are gluten-free and do this for convenience. I'm sure that you can find regular food online too.
You could type up all of your thoughts into a word document and then just post them at the end of the year for maximum isolation too.
i still think that if this is to be a true experiment in isolation from society, then it would seem almost a requirement not to be able to log onto the internet and especially not be actively communicating in any forums. No multiplayer video games as well. .. ouch!
I would bet there are at least a handful of TLiquiders that already are living this experiment having almost little or no contact with others outside of their "internet" social life.
On June 08 2011 05:33 Bajadulce wrote: i still think that if this is to be a true experiment in isolation from society, then it would seem almost a requirement not to be able to log onto the internet and especially not be actively communicating in any forums. No multiplayer video games as well. .. ouch!
I would bet there are at least a handful of TLiquiders that already are living this experiment having almost little or no contact with others outside of their "internet" social life.
As I said before, I have not started this yet! Please pay more attention when you're reading although I know I can be quite a bore. =P When I start this, I wouldn't be doing most of the things you mentioned, although I will be posting my progress on TL. This shouldn't interfere with what I'm doing though because I won't be reading or responding to any of the comments posted here after I start and I will only be posting my progress. I imagine it wouldn't be so different if I kept a journal for 365 days and posted on TL only after it was over. However, even though it'll be a one-sided communication from my side (posting a daily journal on TL that is) it could potentially affect the contents of the journal and this whole thing because I might be typing up only what is socially desirable in my opinion.
I doubt many TLers are truly living out this experiment because I intend to cut off all aspects of communication (including online means) as much as possible.
I'll think about whether I should post the journal after my year is over and/or keep a separate/private journal since its contents could be affected by me posting it here.
As always, thanks for the input and I hope all goes well!
Are you going to write a novel or something? I would get too bored not being able to make any type of social interaction. Sounds like fun though. I hope you get back to us after a year and tell us how it went.
I did something similar about a year ago for a month. Although that was... substance induced, nevertheless I had absolutely ZERO human contact (no calls, no writing, no blogs, NOTHING) for ~5 weeks. I didn't even go out for food/necessities because I had stocked up before hand.
Let me tell you; I went more crazy because of the lack of human interaction than the substances. We each have varies degrees of "social tolerance", but eventually you're going to change for the worse because we're social animals.
I mean the choice is yours but personally this sounds like an awful idea to me. Doing this in college, a place where you are supposed to make new friends that you will keep for your entire life and learn how to be "social" in a different setting? Of course there is some level of superficial interaction when you are meeting new people. It's just something you have to go through to find the people you actually like. I applaud your initiative to do this as an experiment. However, I am also worried about long-term effects this could have on your relationships. Friendships/relationships can unintentionally die out when interaction starts to decrease, "out of sight out of mind." Idk, this sounds extreme and something you should think about carefully. Relationships are too damn valuable to be risking through "experimentations."
EDIT: I am making assumptions here but from what I can gather it doesn't sound like you are a social / outgoing person to begin with. (I apologize if I am wrong about this). I am concerned whether that could get even worse after your experiment.
This is an interesting experiment, though, one would never do myself! I moved 1000 miles for grad school last august and intentionally kept myself from having a life to do better with classes. Now that classes are over (and passed!) I find it extraordinarily depressing to only have a few buddies, no social niche, and at most one outing every 2-3 weeks. I'm unhappy with it and working on finding that niche, but for the life of me I can't understand why you'd INTENTIONALLY do this!
Still, it will make for an interesting case study and I'm sure the psych professor has no problem letting you be your own guinea pig.
You mentioned posting a regular blog, but do you also plan on reading the responses? It isn't direct communication, but people talking about you certainly gives rise to the attention-seeking a lot of people do in social situations. I'm an engineer, so I have no idea if that matters...
lol I dunno about this idea man, I think you need human interaction otherwise you'll go fucking crazy. Good luck if you decide to do this... see you in a year?
Don't want your next blog post to read: I am Howard Hughes reborn! Quickly I must continue to bottle and store my urine and hair...
EPT
(you have a really cool name).
