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Comment by midrus | Hacker News Reader

I suppose it depends on what you subscribe to.

> I'm driving or walking or cooking or cleaning.

> It's noise that minimally engages

What's a better alternative? Listen to the vacuum cleaner? to the other's cars engines? To the top 10 reggaeton mix?

I use every single "non thinking" activity I do (like driving, cleaning, walking outside, etc) to listen to things that really interest me, from news about the tech industry, to web dev subjects I'm interested on, to astrophysics and general science divulgation, etc.

The amount of stuff I've learnt and the entertainment provided is invaluable to me, and just using time otherwise I'd be just hating my life for being stuck in a traffic jam.

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The alternative is reflection. Thinking about your day, the task at hand, some other thing in the future. Being focused on your real life vs some content meant to pull you in to listen to advertisements.

Your brain defrags when it's bored. If you're 100% engaged at all times, your mind gets jumbled and muddy.

This is true for kids (no 24/7 screen time, they need to be bored out of their minds at least once a week) and for adults.

Do you set aside time for yourself to just do nothing and let your mind reflect and contemplate? Sometimes when going for runs/walks I find myself thinking about all sorts of things, sometimes related to work or a project but also just random things. It’s nice to not always give your brain an agenda and see what it comes up with itself.

> It’s nice to not always give your brain an agenda and see what it comes up with itself.

On day's when my brain is functioning properly that's great, it can be really nice. On the days when it isn't I would much rather be listening to some pointless waffle from podcast hosts than dwelling on something I did wrong 15 years ago and how that makes me a terrible person.

> What's a [_potentially_] better alternative?

Mind activity. The activity of problem solving, organizing thought, taking decisions - when e.g. you mentally organize your time, you actively problem solve. With the listening, you are processing information, which is different. A lesson in mathematics is radically different from solving mathematical exercises.

But one is all for optimizing time and if you find that meeting information e.g. while driving works well for you, comes natural and fruitful - that is just excellent!

Also, there are the mental breaks, which are necessary part of the whole process like phases in breathing. I am not sure the car is optimal for them though.

All three things have their space.

being present in the moment. not always being productive or entertained

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