Which is better? A philisophical question, if you will.

[yello]

Incidentally bonj, those were examples rather than a definition. Can you think of a sentence to describe what it is to 'get better' at something? I think you'll find that it's difficult. It is for me at least. One that covers physical and mental activity.

 

[bonj2]

Incidentally bonj, those were examples rather than a definition. Can you think of a sentence to describe what it is to 'get better' at something? I think you'll find that it's difficult. It is for me at least. One that covers physical and mental activity.

Well, it's quite difficult to come up with a *generic* definition for it, but for any specific thing, it's (probably) possible to come up with a fairly meaningful definition.

Why would you ask that, it seems as if reject the notion of 'getting better' at something in principle ... sounds a bit like the school sports day political correctness brigade motto 'there are no losers'...

 

[bonj2]

But the more time you spend thinking, the more experience and information you can bring into it, and the better you get at making the right connections and filtering out the irrelevant. It's like you can get better at cryptic crosswords when you start to learn the tricks the setters use.

I think it's generally accepted now that thinking is a 'use it or lose it' thing... Hence using your brain more actively can ward off the onset of dementia and so on.

Exactly, ACTIVELY. Sitting musing and philosophising isn't using your brain actively. Sitting pondering doing nothing else is using your brain INactively.

 

[yello]

The purpose of asking the question was not to get an answer but to engage in the thought process of coming up with an answer. I personally find it both enlightening and rewarding.

Nothing politically correct/incorrect about encouraging thought..... I hope!

 

[bonj2]

The purpose of asking the question was not to get an answer but to engage in the thought process of coming up with an answer. I personally find it both enlightening and rewarding.

Nothing politically correct/incorrect about encouraging thought..... I hope!

Well,slightly more specific than "better" would be "more effective".
But that's still quite generic, and you have to narrow it down to a particular type of activity (or type of activity) to get a more concrete answer.
But the more you narrow it down, the more it then becomes a discussion of the specifics of that activity.
What you are effectively musing on, therefore, is can you define a grand unified theory of everything for what it means to be good at something.
I personally would struggle to.

 

[yello]

Not very good at it then? Give it some thought, you'll get better!

 

[Arch]

Exactly, ACTIVELY. Sitting musing and philosophising isn't using your brain actively. Sitting pondering doing nothing else is using your brain INactively.

No, sitting in front of the telly in a semi conscious state hearing and seeing but making no effort to engage is using your brain inactively. I'll probabyl do that this evening for a bit, as I've been writing all day.

Thinking, musing, weighing ideas against each other, following them to their logical conclusions, is active.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

<pedant> Techinically I would suggest that there's no real way to use your brain "inactively"... if it's inactive it suggests that it's not working... which would pretty much imply that you're dead... wouldn't it? </pedant>

 

[Wigsie]

^^ Probably.. or 'brain dead'

 

[yello]

Quite. The brain's always chuntering away. I often deliberately stop consciously thinking about stuff, just to background it because I believe it gets mulled over somehow. Sometimes, for me, not thinking is the best way to work something out.

I think I'm leaving myself wide open to ridicule now!

 

[PaulB]

To be frank, I've mared it on the spelling, aren't I?

 

[yello]

...yea, and the problem is?

 

[Llama]

well i think better to be quiet with the occasional interruption of calamity, however i never really am bored, i can always find something to occupy my self - kind of always need a bit of pocket money though!

 

[bonj2]

Basically, what I would say to people who spend time doing nothing, is can you please do some of my work for me? Because I can think of more things to do than i've got time to do.

 

[yello]

It's a choice bonj. One can always find things to do. There's things you have to do and things you want to do. Time is finite (for the individual) so by definition you can never do everything you might want to. So you have to choose. I choose to lead a life with fewer of the things I have to do to allow more time for the things I want to do.

For me it's about not being in a comfort zone, but about trying new things - skills, experiences, activities etc...

Not sure if that's 'not about' ... the 'but' confuses me!

Personally, I couldn't live outside the comfort zone a great deal. I know some people thrive on on it but I'm not one. Agree about trying new things though ...within reason as there are some things that simply don't appeal!

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer to the OP btw. Whatever floats your boat and all that.