There are a lot of things that eat up a person's time. For me, it's browsing the internet finding interesting snippets of information. I enjoy it, but it really is too much time. I can relate to tech_sam who started a "minimal internet" policy in his house. It makes perfect sense. I think all humans are prone to obsessions. We like doing something... so we do it more, and we refine our skills at it, until we get to a point where we're just so good that we can improve no more, or.. we get exhausted by our efforts and decide it really isn't worth it (for a while). There are a lot of things that keep obsessive behavior in check; a social life (which can also be an obsession), work, other interests (obsessive pluralism, heh).
I think the best inhibitor for obsession is the standard of "normalcy" that society has. Which is why WoW is so easy to fall into. There are millions of people playing WoW. You are in a new culture while you are playing. It is normal to play for hours and days. In fact, if you aren't there.. you're missing out. You aren't progressing with everyone else. You aren't going on the same quests, getting more loot.
This strikes me as curiously similar to real life, actually. There's a standard of living to be lived up to, and improvements which are expected. "You don't have a house?" Well when are you going to buy one? How many digits are in your paycheck? Your car is pre-2000? Well when are you going to buy a newer one? Faster, bigger, smaller, "better".. it's a pretty competitive game. What's to gain? Pride, status, security..
I've never been very good at games. I enjoy them well enough, I often enjoy watching them better than playing. I do play now and again.. usually for short (a couple weeks), intense periods. Curiously enough, I often go at life in a similar way. Heh. Hope none of you, dear readers, are so enthralled by 'life' or games as to miss out on real living.
6 comments:
for me in the obsession to games was always a sinful structures visible:
- to escape reality (which is more than to relax for some time)
- to be like God
Jesus is cool!
Heh, you got the wider implications of the article I was hinting at.
Yeah, the obsession thing is interesting. I liked programming because it was something I could become absorbed into, and, once I was done, I had produced something interesting. The desire for obsession does seem like a common human attribute. Dr. Reynolds told us that males are especially susceptible to monomania.
However, it is hard for me to turn that obsessiveness towards following God with all my heart. I think why it is easy with programming is that there is an immediate feedback to my thoughts and actions, but I don't experience that in relation to God.
Oh, and good job on your recent series of posts. Great way to get us readers thinking more seriously about the fundamental things in life.
I agree with Eric on your recent posts - way to go!
Good thinking about the standard of "normalcy" in society.
There's the virtual world, and then there's the "real" world. But there will come a time when even the "real" world will pass away and only the things of God will remain. :-)
LOLOLOL. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8hfK3RQs2g&NR
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