next »

[jonny]

Those are some good points.

But I think it does have to do with the intellect, though it's true that not only intellectual people are in their head a lot. Everybody is in their head, just as everybody speaks. Thoughts are just a more subtle form of speech. Someone who is very emotional is likely to have just as many thoughts as someone who is very intellectual. That doesn't really prove my point at all, it's just a distinction that I didn't make before, probably because I didn't about it.

But I think the intellect is a part of it, but maybe our terminology isn't the same. The intellect has nothing to do with knowledge, just as being an intellectual doesn't mean you know a lot. Intelligent people have a sharp intellect, wise people have a large range of knowledge (but they also need a sharp intellect to apply to their knowledge, in order to create true wisdom). Both use your brain, but different parts of it. Intelligence involves thinking mostly, and I suppose wisdom could involve memory, since it is associated with a large range of knowledge.

And I don't mean to say that any of these things are exclusive. You can be very wise, very intellectual, and on top of that have an integrated heart. However, such a person is most likely very highly developed, and could even be considered enlightened, as in the case of Yoda or Ghandi. They have achieved the balance that I was talking about before. The problems that we were discussing come only when there is an imbalance, i.e., too much intellect and not enough heart can cause people to get caught in an intellectual loop, which involves over analyzing everything. This is not likely to happen with someone who is predominantly acting from their heart, but that's not to say that emotions don't run in loops also. Both can cause problems, and they need to be treated in different ways because they are very different in nature.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

I think the difference is that I don't see it as "balancing" anything, I see it as always a poor choice to get lost in one's head and let one's mind hijack one's self. The way I see it, aren't our minds, we aren't even a balance between our minds and our bodies, we are a body which has a mind. Too many people believe they are minds which just so happen to have bodies, and forget that the purpose of the mind is to serve and be subservient to the body, and not vice versa. I'm also not talking about emotions vs intellect, because both of those are part of the mind, being lost in one's head is no more intellectual than it is emotional.

I don't mean that in the sense of just going with one's id and focusing on eating and pleasure and sex, although that way of life can have some merit. I'm talking more about identifying with and living within the realm of your senses: what's going on in your field of vision, the sounds in your ears, how your body feels like. Living in the present moment, like a baby does, instead of getting caught up in social norms and culture and roles and what you think some guy thinks or what you think some girl feels or being worried about who likes you and who doesn't and worrying about people's impressions or opinions of you, or feeling guilty about what you "should" be doing and all that, instead of just enjoying doing stuff for its own sake.

[michael]

youve been making some very rich and insightful comments, all across the forum ive really been enjoying what you have to say.

though i will definitely have to disagree with your theory on the chain of command.

The way I see it, aren't our minds, we aren't even a balance between our minds and our bodies, we are a body which has a mind. Too many people believe they are minds which just so happen to have bodies, and forget that the purpose of the mind is to serve and be subservient to the body, and not vice versa.

generalizing(not to be strawmanning you, but to create a contrast), im reading that you feel we are a structured organization of complex molecules and organisms that has, for some or for no reason, developed a network of cells to aid it in interacting with and experiencing its environment. and that we are not that collective network, but a collective mass of individually motivated cells.

i'll agree that we are not our minds, but we most certainly are not our bodies. and i also disagree that the body precedes the mind. we're getting quite abstract, off point, and arguably mute here, so i hope no one minds.

it is my experience and opinion that i exist independent of both my mind and body, and that both are vehicles to experience and interact. i believe that the source of my creativity and motivation is deep inside, deeper than flesh, and that it channels up through my identifying ego (sense of self), is flavored by my feelings (subtle form of intellect) is picked up by my discriminating intellect, and manifests in my mind (field of thoughts) as an idea or notion. in summary, my mind/intellect is like a radio that picks up the creative impulses of my being (whatever you want to call it) and transforms the raw impulse into a coherent thought. and depending on whether this impulse is a response to a previous experience, or a fresh inspiration, the body then reacts or acts to best of its ability. this is my experience in my quite moments during my many years of creative expression.

with a better radio and better speakers, i can reproduce a radios signal at a higher quality. in the same way, when i enjoy greater health and routine, i am a more productive, more creative person.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

I understand that it's a controversial position, but understand that I don't believe that lightly. I don't believe we are just a collection of cells either, or molecules, we are our body as an whole, not as a collection of individual parts. We are the organization of the body, not the base matter itself.

And yes, I know it contradicts experience, but it's not something that can be experienced, because experience itself is subserviant to existence. And we are our existence, not our experience.

This is not something that can be conveyed very well through an internet forum of course, so I expect nobody will understand what I mean. Although I recommend the videos and writings of U.G. Krishnamurti -- he talked about this topic frequenly and inimitably.

[JaJ]

How do I focus. I'm not sure, I don't seem to have that much problems finishing something as long as I know I'll be able to finish it, a five year project would never work for me, but I am able to work on something fulltime for a month if it will be done within that month. (As my current WIP has proven me)

What seems to work for me:
1. Drinking coca cola (or pepsi, same effect) It's not necesarily the DRINKING that seems to help a lot, but having to go downstairs to the fridge to get it. I usually do this when I have finished a previous task. In those few minutes I figure out what to do next and I can keep on working. Also, the drink seems to give me energy that I can do something with. I do however tend to drink a bottle a day wich doesn't seem to be very healthy...

2. Playing a good game of a DIFFERENT genre to get my mind off of it every so many hours. It helps, don't know why. Mario kart seems to work very well, since it doesn't take too long to finish a grand prix and afterwards I don't find it hard to quit.

3. Showing people my game of wich I know they will give compliments. It might not be the most constuctive advice, but It does keep me motivated.

4. On days I don't feel like working on my game, I don't bother to start. If this mood lasts for more than 3 days, I have a problem.

What does NOT seem to work.

1. Going to forums
2. Going to youtube
3. Playing a good game of the SAME genre. It might inspire at first, but it completely demotivates when I realise I will never be able to make something that good, also, I always want to copy stuff.

[Alec]

\m/

[synapse]

And yes, I know it contradicts experience, but it's not something that can be experienced, because experience itself is subserviant to existence. And we are our existence, not our experience.

Weird that this turned into a deep philosophical discussion, but I am going to have to wholeheartedly agree with rinku on this one.  Brains evolved to help propagate genes, and the mind is a product of the brain.  This is the direct observation of all peer-reviewed evolutionary biology and neuroscience from the past hundred years.

As far as how to focus - drink more coffee.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

I was watching a few more UG Krishnamurti videos and came across this one, which I think is an excellent introduction to his work:

[michael]

this guy talks a lot, but doesnt say very much, especially for someone who thinks thoughts are evil.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

That's a common reaction, and I understand the reaction. Some people are so caught up in their own minds, their minds have such a stranglehold on their being, that there is an allergic reaction to the kind of things he says, and they see it as him saying nothing, even though he's saying a great deal. Most of his videos have tons of comments like that on the comment section in YouTube.

I don't know if people whose minds so totally dominate their bodies can ever change through the arguments or words of others alone, or if anything can get through to them besides physical trauma like a stroke, and help them live like they used to when they were infants.

Although thoughts are not "evil", they are only a bad thing when they hijack the body, going beyond their original natural role as a tool of the body. In other words, it's not bad to use the mind to figure out something that's beneficial or useful to you, but it is "evil" to get so caught up in the mind that you lose touch with living in the present, when they act as if the body's purpose is to support consciousness, rather than the other way around.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

Also note that this position isn't anti-mind, I'm not trying to diminish the mind, I'm only saying that it's happiest and healthiest when the mind fulfills its natural purpose, and doesn't try to dominate, and the mind is the least happy when it's detached from reality. The ultimate expression of the mind dominating the body is the schizophrenic (note: schizophrenia is different from multiple personality disorder, even though the two terms are sometimes confused).

[ChevyRay]

(note: schizophrenia is different from multiple personality disorder, even though the two terms are sometimes confused).

Thank you for this note pisses me off when people get these confused (I grew up with a schizophrenic friend).

In other words, it's not bad to use the mind to figure out something that's beneficial or useful to you, but it is "evil" to get so caught up in the mind that you lose touch with living in the present

Agreed. It can be hard to distinguish, sometimes, but everybody has their own line.

What seems to work for me:
1. Drinking coca cola (or pepsi, same effect) It's not necesarily the DRINKING that seems to help a lot, but having to go downstairs to the fridge to get it. I usually do this when I have finished a previous task. In those few minutes I figure out what to do next and I can keep on working. Also, the drink seems to give me energy that I can do something with. I do however tend to drink a bottle a day wich doesn't seem to be very healthy...

I can't concentrate on anything without a drink in hand. Whether it's tea, coffee, water, juice, cola, beer, or whatever. I HAVE to have a drink. It's become so habitual (drinking whilst programming) that the two have basically become one function in my mind.

[MekanikDestructiwKommando]

Hehe, all very interesting.
Weather we are an experience with an existence or an existence with an experience.. "What is the Life, the Universe and Everything?" We don't need an answer to this question to solve "How do I Focus and get things done?"
Someone pointed out "the first thing you do" -- good point, I think. I think a schedule might be conducive to focus.. "For this hour I AM DOING THIS and NOTHING BUT THIS" -- no tigsource forums, IMs, fark.com or w/e.
Lately I've been assuming my mind is more creative and brilliant then I "remember" it to be (memory really is associated with knowledge and wisdom.. and in my own humble theory memory is required for self-awareness). In this "assumption" I can express what my mind really is, because the assumption is actually the truth and what I was assuming before "I can't get stuff done" was a lie.
edit: Nightwisn video is genius!

Facts just twist the truth around..
Facts are living turned inside out.
Facts are getting the best of him..

[Seth]

I think I have to e.cho rinku's advice about getting to work right when you wake up.  Before I would demand of myself that I would write something before I went to bed, as long as I did that I would meet my quota.  I came to resent my goal of writing, and always put it off until way too late (when I should be sleeping) and often just not do it at all, and feel bad about it.  But doing it when I wake up, I might still resent it, but at least when I get through it, my conscience is clear and I don't have to worry about it, and I don't have this task hanging over my head all day. 

But the real important part is that once I've done it, I don't have to do it if I don't want to, so the stigma of it being chore is removed and I can begin looking it as something I actually do want to do again--and often I'll end up writing sometime later in the day, without resentment.

[agj]

Some people are so caught up in their own minds, their minds have such a stranglehold on their being, that there is an allergic reaction to the kind of things he says, and they see it as him saying nothing, even though he's saying a great deal.

I think you're being condescending. I agree with michael: he circles his main point way too much. Nevertheless, I agree to some degree with this idea of the mind serving the body. Actually, I believe that it's going against our instincts what has resulted in our species straying from what we're supposed to do in this world; we have lost connection with one another, have embraced our egos and glorified their importance. We hold logic so high that we have forgotten about the rest.

[eddietree]

mountain dew!

and ritalin!

[mirosurabu]

So many coffee suggestions. I should start drinking coffee.

How do I focus?

I just sit down and find something fun about what I have to do. Then I do it. Someone told me once that people who complete long-term goals manage to complete them because they find fun in every bit of the process. They try to enjoy the little bits which make the process. Most people just focus on end-goal - the game.

The real problem I have is to keep the focus. It happens often to me to get distracted. A lot of options, especially when there are comforting options. Once I get distracted I find it hard to regain focus.

The greatest distractions in my game development are bugs or when I don't seem to make good progress. High expectations, in two words.

As a result, I have started recently to teach myself about myself as someone who isn't experienced as I thought before and that I should take baby steps.

And it works.

[J.W. Hendricks]

I am not aware of this thing you call "focusing".

[Strong]

I keep motivated by making games that are interesting.

[JasonPickering]

work all day at a big game company making something, that is not yours. then when you go home, and decide to work on something that is all yours you will be super happy.

- although..... given more freedom you tend to take advatage of it and need to keep yourself in check. "yeah thats right ill make a 200 hour RPG where the main character is Conan o'Brien and you have to save a horrible dragon from a beautiful princess."

also i listen to music, but i do instrumental, and try and find something in the vein of what I am doing. I am listening to the game soundtrack for "Henry Hatsworth". surrounding yourself with somethign helps you focus on it.