That Fool's Blog

Marc the Fool

Lately, I've been getting that feeling I need to be more serious. I don't know what it is? It's kind of self-conscious meets fear of failure. Usually I'm not afraid of taking risks.


But every once in while - doubt and perfectionism creep in. I start to dread the snark of others. I feel like people are watching what I'm doing - ready to judge and criticize me. I just imagine one of my old classmates saying, "Oh God, did you see the picture he posted on Facebook or I can't believe how stupid that story was."

"In fact, psychologists use the term “imaginary audience” to describe this heightened state of vigilance that is especially strong during adolescence. An imaginary audience is this belief that we have a group or followers that are watching, dissecting, and judging our every move. But the keyword here is “imagined.”

You are not the center of the universe. Nobody really cares about your every move. Nobody is watching, and if they happen to be, they are far less concerned with what you are doing and much more focused on what YOU are thinking about them. That’s the irony of this. You think you are so important that everyone cares what you do, when in fact, everyone is so preoccupied with themselves that they don’t even notice or care what you are doing. - Pick the Brain

I'm sure there's some evolutionary / survival purpose for this feeling, but it certainly gets in the way of experimenting or trying new stuff.

I hate those experts who tell you just to trudge on - fake it till you make it. That seems like a dime's worth of advice to solve a dollar's worth of problems. Usually for me, this feeling stems from something much deeper. Most times there's something more substantial that is shaking my security and making me feel more exposed and less safe. This carries over to my creativity. Makes me just want to shut down and give up.

It's dealing with these bigger issues that I have a problem with.

Do We Really Need People to Tell Us We're Busy?

I was Stumbling around and came across an article in Accidental Creative called, "Do We Really Need More Time?" by Todd Henry. You should read the article before reading this post, but if not then I will summarize. ----> More Time.

These types of articles really bug the crap out of me, because the author assumes the reason people don't engage in some particularly productive activity is they just are doing too much other stuff. Regardless if it's healthy, productive or effective, this other stuff provides for our needs. If television didn't give people something more effectively than say chess, then Milton Bradley would occupy half of Best Buy.

I try to look at stuff I do from a cognitive behavioral point-of-view - with a bit of existentialism thrown in. Everything we do is for a reason. There's actually some purpose to watching television or playing World of Warcraft. These are tools that provide some purpose.

With CBT, you try to be cognitively aware of what you are doing and why you are doing it. For instance instead of going into the fridge and pulling out a gallon of ice cream and then like some zombie sitting in front of the television scooping out frozen brains, maybe you try to find a more productive tool, such as taking a walk to calm that nervous, anxious energy you've built up throughout the day.

Anyway, I wrote a response to the article which I've included in this blog.

Comment to article: Sometimes I read an article and I'm just stunned at the reverse thinking. Americans today work harder and longer hours than at almost any other time in our history. We're pushing the same amount of hours that were worked before the New Deal. We work longer and harder than almost any industrialized country - including Japan. Do we work to live or live to work?

Furthermore, activities such as reading a book, chatting with friends and exercising are actually good things - that build and strengthen creativity. We as a society should be doing more of this - not less. Please people reading this blog - take my advice go buy a good book like, Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey and then discus with a friend at lunch .. you'll be shocked at all the creative ideas that will spring forth from your brain.

Speaking of brains and books - I recommend, The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge. It equinoctial explains that our brains actually mold and change with our thoughts and actions. Meaning - if you want to be creative then must do creative things. Sitting at your computer or reading some book on the latest Java registries ain't gonna cut it

Save yourselves!!! go now - call a friend - have lunch - a long lunch - I'm serious, order coffee - look outside the window - find out where your server is from .. laugh a little then go to used bookstore. Live the distraction before it's too late.