Re: "The Small Stuff" book review

On 7/31/2026 2:28 PM, Noah Sombrero wrote:
> On Fri, 31 Jul 2026 21:12:27 -0000 (UTC), Tara <[email protected]>
> wrote:
> 
>> On Jul 31, 2026 at 5:01:35?PM EDT, "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 always thought that Mindfulnes is about being aware of yourself and what's
>> going on around you. But then, whatdoIknowanyway. :)
> 
> Much more than dude.
 >
Your mind can be full of thoughts. That's what mindfulness means. 
Meditation is just sitting quietly and being aware of being aware.