Re: "The Small Stuff" book review

On 8/1/2026 10:01 AM, Wilson wrote:
> On 7/31/2026 5:12 PM, Tara 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. :)
> 
> Yes same here. Mindfulness is more about being aware of things and less 
> about thinking and going over your thoughts over and over. That's not 
> mindfulness.
> 
There are several well-known teachers of mindfulness meditation in 
California. One of the most popular practices is called Zen Present Focus:

Tuning into the current moment -  the sensations of breathing, and being 
aware of your surroundings, rather than rehashing the past or worrying 
about the future. YMMV.

Mindfulness meditation in California is taught by prominent instructors 
and leading centers such as Jack Kornfield at Spirit Rock Meditation 
Center in Woodacre and Gil Fronsdal at the Insight Meditation Center in 
Redwood City, Ca.