Re: "The Small Stuff" book review

At Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:01:35 -0700, Dude <[email protected]> wrote:

> On 7/31/2026 1:38 PM, Tara wrote:
> > On Jul 31, 2026 at 4:23:49 PM EDT, "dart200"
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> > 
> >> On 7/31/26 1:06 PM, Tara wrote:
> >>> On Jul 31, 2026 at 3:52:16 PM EDT, "dart200"
> >>> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> On 7/31/26 10:00 AM, Dude wrote:
> >>>>> On 7/31/2026 8:56 AM, dart200 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
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>> <snip>
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>> 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
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> 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.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> 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? 🤣
> >>>>>>
> >>>>> Everyone that thinks, is being mindful everyday...
> >>>>>
> >>>> counterpoint: all the absfg duds reading this
> >>>
> >>> you know... it's an old one but apropo here I think. Why don't you go back
> >>> under the rock you crawled out from. Seriously
> >>
> >> what are you going to do about it? ban me?
> >>
> >> u can say whatever u want to about me, it will _never_ hurt me more than
> >> abject ignorance you duds constantly put on displace
> >>
> >> the fact i have to exist on planet with such ungodly stupidity is a
> >> _far_ worse feeling than whatever the fuck mean words on a screen
> > 
> > You do know there is a psychological term and diagnosis for your feelings of
> > superiority don't you. And it's not pretty.
>  >
> Something got cut out by Nick attempting to manipulate the conversation.
> 
> Everyone that thinks, is being mindful everyday. Never underestimate the 
> poer of very short spans of time, like thinking or being mindful.
> 
> Mindfulness just means to think things over. Almost everyone who can 
> think pauses at least once or twice every day to think things over.
> 
> Based on that definition of mindfulness, you are practicing being 
> mindful. Mindful even every second if you count the small things you 
> think about and post to this board. Nick.
> 
> Nick is way out of his league on this board!
> 
> "You are soaking in it" - Madge

I'm going to have to start a new thread based on:

https://youtu.be/Yt4zQqndLdQ?t=93

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