Issue 60: Just Wait a Week
We should pay attention to activities that are both pro self, and pro social. Activities that reverse the effects of the tragedy of the commons, while simultaneously improving the life of the individual.
Win/win.
One of these rare activities is a time buffer.
This buffer is sometimes called mindfulness. It's sometimes called wisdom. The concept stays the same. Wait, and then respond.
The internet rewards hyper-instant-freneticism. Emotions are a limited resource. They burn hot, but they burn quickly. To profit on the sadness, the rage, the elation, the promise, the Internet forces you to act immediately.
Headlines herald doom. Buy Now! adverts flash. The post (or person) that had the top spot on the feed you read was the most-important-discussion-ever on the platform one day, and is gone the next – as if it never existed.
To win back our attention in this environment, to let our better angels flourish, we must introduce artificial barriers into our information diet.
This strategy is not equal to passivity, nor does it promise perfection.
A time buffer is a refinement technique that prevents you from putting your foot in your mouth by utilizing a resource that occurs regardless – the passage of time.
A metered response shows respect to you, and your reader. You look smarter, and perhaps even are smarter, for being able to exert patience.
A collection of techniques you can try:
- Use the "schedule" feature on Internet platforms. You can automate publishing, and still get the dopamine from pressing the "post" button.
- Write down what you planned to say, then set a calendar to review the idea 24 hours later. If you approve it then, publish immediately.
- Use a zettelkasten to collect your thoughts. The practice will reveal the seeds of your thinking, show you the voices in your head you've adopted as your own, and gaps in your logic that need filling.
When the internet wants you to go low, you go high. If we all do that, the boats will rise with the tide.
Just wait a week.
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