Re: "The Small Stuff" book review

On 7/31/2026 10:07 AM, Noah Sombrero wrote:
> On Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:59:26 -0700, dart200
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
>> On 7/31/26 9:36 AM, Dude wrote:
>>> On 7/31/2026 9:03 AM, Tara wrote:
>>>> On Jul 31, 2026 at 11:56:48?AM EDT, "dart200"
>>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On 7/31/26 8:15 AM, Tara wrote:
>>>>>> On Jul 31, 2026 at 10:53:13?AM EDT, "Noah Sombrero" <[email protected]>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:12:02 -0000 (UTC), Tara <[email protected]>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> (I haven't read this book yet but I heard the author interviewed
>>>>>>>> on CBC this
>>>>>>>> a.m and liked what he said).  Just another self-help book or one
>>>>>>>> of that ilk?
>>>>>>>> Nah, I don't think so.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The Small Stuff
>>>>>>>> How to lead a more gratifying life
>>>>>>>> -Ian Bogost -  Atlantic Columnist
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In other words, why well off people are not happy.  So they pine for
>>>>>>> the good old days, forgetting that they were not happy then either.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Uhhh. No, not really what the book is about.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> why don't you read the book.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "sleek, but soulless, design".  Of course that is not satisfying.  On
>>>>>>> the other hand, if a person has a satisfying fulfilled life, it won't
>>>>>>> matter what knickknacks one includes or not.  Who notices such things?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On the other hand, "automated self-checkout counters"?  Who puts up
>>>>>>> with such emptiness?  As if people needed another way to avoid
>>>>>>> interacting with each other.  But if you have plenty of human
>>>>>>> interaction in your life, maybe those counters wouldn't matter so
>>>>>>> much.  There it is, we are so isolated from each other in our cars,
>>>>>>> and lockable houses that we need to interact with clerks in stores.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> How do we feel?  Lonely and bored.  Scared of each other, and out of
>>>>>>> patience with ideas we don't want to listen to (from other people).
>>>>>>> Simple, huh?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> His approach is more about being aware of the pleasure and
>>>>>> experience of
>>>>>> holding and drinking a warm cup of coffee on a cold morning.  kind
>>>>>> of stuff
>>>>>> like that.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> it's called mindfulness and it's been written about by like a million
>>>>> times by now
>>>>
>>>> no kidding
>>>> Amazing insight.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> but in this case instead of actively cultivating mindfulness of what
>>>>> he's still manually doing (which life still involves a lot of), it seems
>>>>> he's bitching about being robbed of petty shit like manually flushing
>>>>> toilets in public restrooms. or not having a pile of keys in ur pockets
>>>>> instead of using the rfid in my watch. or paying for everything with
>>>>> dirty ass money instead of just tapping my phone.
>>>>
>>>> read the book have ya
>>>>>
>>>>> it's like an even more retarded form of complaining that dishwashers and
>>>>> washing machines have ruined taking care of households because we're not
>>>>> spending a hours a day manually washing dishes and laundry anymore ?
>>>>>
>>>>> this is the kind bonehead that bitches that electric cars having "no
>>>>> soul" cause they don't go vroom vroom when u hit the gas! like ok bro
>>>>> ... is the small electric wine that goes along with the rocket ship
>>>>> acceleration not enough for you to be mindful of? ?
>>>>
>>>> lightnen up.  you need it bad.
>>>   >
>>> Nick came here to get enlightened.
>>>   >
>>> <snip>
>>
>> dud came here to get enlightened, and yet none was to be found
> 
> And since he brought none with him, there was none to find.
 >
You two came HERE to get enlightened?