Boredom is the New Luxury

Today, I sent out a newsletter that is distributed only via email. However, because I believe the content serves as a friendly reminder of how the pendulum is swinging back and offers nuggets of wisdom on how to live life, I’m sharing it here as a blog post as well.

The Newsletter:

I hope you are all well. It’s not an easy time.

I don’t know what to write about, but I also had the feeling I should write another issue of this newsletter.

Usually, I summarize my shares and notes on my social or Second Brain, but that seems boring. Why not, like Jason Fried says, and Haruki Murakami writes in his book, to always write from scratch, and try to write a little better every time? So that’s what I try; writing from a blank sheet. I write from a blank sheet; writing free-flow, whatever comes to mind.

But back to the change of time. I feel we are at a turning point. We, the people, want to own things, want distraction-free experiences, and above all, want tools that benefit us, not the pockets of large companies. There are more stories that people use old iPods for music, buying the music. Typing on a typewriter solely for writing (like I did distraction-free typewriter), leaving the cloud, or just using local first products like Obsidian, DuckDB. Devices that are uni-taskers, doing one thing well.

It’s back to single-use devices. Besides being not distracted, it’s also that we, the people who are the product, are tired of the algorithm telling us what we listen to, watch, or write about.

We are human beings. If you wait one minute or two, something will always come to our minds. In my experience, there is no shortage of ideas. Embrace not doing anything, embrace Boredom, Daydream. Follow your Intuition.

Being bored is the new luxury. It will heal your mental state. We will slowly but surely regain our sense of belonging and feel more comfortable.

Books! Books are another way to move away from algorithms. A quiet way of consuming. It will be hard again if you haven’t for a while, but every time I read (or listen to Audible, in my case), it’s so rewarding, and I learn a lot more than just listening to a ramble on a podcast. Why? Because writing a book takes a year or more. The structure and ideas are well thought out, not just made up on the spot. Additionally, the older the book, the Lindy Effect takes place and usually confirms the book’s enduring value.

I also think a book can connect in ways nothing else can. It can be intimate, it can be life-changing when read at the right time: you hear so many people saying “this book changed my life”. This is not fiction; this happens. I could tell you several that did it for me.

But instead, I share some books I recently read or am currently reading:

• Useful Not True (Derek Sivers): Derek is the master of stripping away. This book has so much wisdom in short one-page stories. From Derek’s life. It’s a gem. Perfect to re-read, over and over. It’s next to my sleeping place, to just grab.
• Novelist as a Vocation (Haruki Murakami): Such an amazing book On Writing. It really reminded me of my writing style as well, as he translates words and tries to write beautifully for the sake of beauty, not to impress the reader. No timeline, takes as long as it takes until quality is good. And he likes a good challenge to keep him engaged, e.g., when he goes abroad to start from scratch. His style is so unique and amazing. It’s a joy to listen to.
• Greenlights (Matthew McConaughey): This book was so real. Matthew reads and shares from his 35 years of Journaling and life. So inspiring and straight from the heart. It was interesting and motivating to hear from a Hollywood actor and celebrity what truly matters, family and keep livin. Alright, aaaalright, alriiight. → I listened to the audiobook, and his Texan accent was the best. He was rhyming, slowing down, calming down, getting loud, all of it. It was like sitting next to him and listening to your dad or uncle.
• Consider This (Chuck Palahniuk): The author of Fight Club shares how to write if you were his student. A masterclass if you want to enhance your writing.
• You Can Negotiate Anything by Herb Cohen (Herb Cohen): Still on it, but interesting perspective, that you can negotiate even at places you’d never thought, even at a shopping mall. Always keep in mind what the other’s objective is. There are always three elements that are part of a negotiation: information, time, and power.
• The Bible: I also started to read the Bible, the most sold book on earth. I wanted to understand what’s in there. Obviously, it’s so massive, and it’s actually not one book, but a collection of many. I get a similar sensation to one of my favorite books The Daily Stoic (366 Meditations), it’s like a daily meditation. While Ryan Holiday’s book helps me feel calmer, the Bible nourishes my love and care for others. If you like this, you can read a very long essay of mine on Why Are We Here on Earth? True Happiness, Giving Up Control, or the Trap of Worshipping Earthly Things?

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So again, I could go on and on, but I leave it here. I wish you a great day. And if you like any of this, or have a question you are pondering. Just email me. There’s no automation in my email, I read them all, no bot, no analytics. It’s just me and you. I’m happy to chat. Usually, it’s where great ideas start, with a conversation of like-minded people, right?

With love,
Simon

PS: The feature image is the mood that inspired this writing yesterday evening, plus a good night’s sleep. This morning, this just poured out of me (which is how I usually write). I hope you liked it 😊.