The Last to Comment Wins

Tempokai

Tempokai

The Overworked One
Joined
Nov 16, 2021
Messages
1,396
Points
153
Hsinat said:
stop thinking then
Click to expand...

§1. The Problem of "Not Thinking"​

What does it mean not to think? Is not thinking a state, an activity, or a linguistic confusion? If I say, "I am not thinking," am I thinking about my not-thinking, thereby engaging in the very thing I deny? Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that thinking is an activity I have momentarily forgotten to notice.

But what is it to forget thinking? Do we simply sink into unconsciousness like a cat basking in the sun? Or is it a kind of silence—not the silence of absence, but the silence of presence too obvious to remark upon?

When a man sits quietly on a bench staring at pigeons, is he thinking or not thinking? And if he is not thinking, should we assume his mind is empty? No. His mind is not empty. It is filled with the pigeons.

§2. Language as the Trap​

The trouble begins with language. Language is a cunning devil, always leading us astray with its promises of clarity. Consider the phrase "not thinking."

We might think it points to some inner experience—some state of mind free from concepts, judgments, or mental chatter. But is it? Or is it merely the shadow cast by our grammar, tricking us into believing that there is something to be described, when in fact, there is only the absence of description?

Imagine someone says, "I was thinking of nothing." What does that even mean? Did they think of a great black void? Or did they simply experience the unremarkable passing of time without a mental soundtrack? And if they truly thought of nothing, how could they tell us about it? Language collapses under its own weight here, yet still we speak.

§3. The Myth of Mental Silence​

There is a fantasy among philosophers and self-help gurus alike: the idea of mental silence. They claim that if we could just stop thinking, we would experience some purer, more authentic state of being. But what is a pure state of being, anyway? A bowl of oatmeal is in a pure state of being. Is that what we aspire to?

Even if we could achieve this vaunted state of not-thinking, what would it feel like? Perhaps it would feel like waiting for a bus: a vaguely oppressive suspension of time and intention, punctuated by occasional thoughts like "Did I forget to lock the door?" or "That cloud looks like a horse." Not thinking, then, is not the absence of thought but the mundane continuity of experience—thoughts drifting in and out like weather patterns.

§4. Thought as Background Noise​

We often imagine thinking as a kind of foreground activity—something we do deliberately, with focus and intention. But most thinking is background noise. It hums and clicks like an old refrigerator in the corner of the kitchen. You don’t notice it until it stops.

"Not thinking," then, is nothing more than the absence of noticing that you’re thinking. It’s not a special state to be achieved, but an ordinary one already happening—like breathing or digesting lunch.

§5. The Comedy of Trying Not to Think​

The moment you try not to think, you are lost. The very attempt to suppress thought creates a cascade of thoughts: Am I not thinking yet? What does not-thinking feel like? Is this it? No, that’s still a thought… Damn it. It’s like telling yourself not to imagine a purple elephant—what pops into your mind immediately? The most garish purple pachyderm imaginable.

Thus, trying not to think is like trying not to blink. It is an exercise in futility, a perfect specimen of the human tendency to invent problems where none exist.

Conclusion: Not Thinking is Not a Thing​

We end where we began: confused, bemused, and slightly more tired than when we started. But perhaps that is precisely the point. To think about not thinking is to engage in one of philosophy’s most delightful language games—a game that has no rules, no winners, and no conclusion.

And yet, here we are, concluding it anyway. Or are we?

Perhaps the essay has merely stopped thinking.
 
JayMark

JayMark

It's Not Easy Being Nobody, But Somebody Has To.
Joined
Jul 31, 2024
Messages
1,711
Points
128
Tempokai said:

§1. The Problem of "Not Thinking"​

What does it mean not to think? Is not thinking a state, an activity, or a linguistic confusion? If I say, "I am not thinking," am I thinking about my not-thinking, thereby engaging in the very thing I deny? Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that thinking is an activity I have momentarily forgotten to notice.

But what is it to forget thinking? Do we simply sink into unconsciousness like a cat basking in the sun? Or is it a kind of silence—not the silence of absence, but the silence of presence too obvious to remark upon?

When a man sits quietly on a bench staring at pigeons, is he thinking or not thinking? And if he is not thinking, should we assume his mind is empty? No. His mind is not empty. It is filled with the pigeons.

§2. Language as the Trap​

The trouble begins with language. Language is a cunning devil, always leading us astray with its promises of clarity. Consider the phrase "not thinking."

We might think it points to some inner experience—some state of mind free from concepts, judgments, or mental chatter. But is it? Or is it merely the shadow cast by our grammar, tricking us into believing that there is something to be described, when in fact, there is only the absence of description?

Imagine someone says, "I was thinking of nothing." What does that even mean? Did they think of a great black void? Or did they simply experience the unremarkable passing of time without a mental soundtrack? And if they truly thought of nothing, how could they tell us about it? Language collapses under its own weight here, yet still we speak.

§3. The Myth of Mental Silence​

There is a fantasy among philosophers and self-help gurus alike: the idea of mental silence. They claim that if we could just stop thinking, we would experience some purer, more authentic state of being. But what is a pure state of being, anyway? A bowl of oatmeal is in a pure state of being. Is that what we aspire to?

Even if we could achieve this vaunted state of not-thinking, what would it feel like? Perhaps it would feel like waiting for a bus: a vaguely oppressive suspension of time and intention, punctuated by occasional thoughts like "Did I forget to lock the door?" or "That cloud looks like a horse." Not thinking, then, is not the absence of thought but the mundane continuity of experience—thoughts drifting in and out like weather patterns.

§4. Thought as Background Noise​

We often imagine thinking as a kind of foreground activity—something we do deliberately, with focus and intention. But most thinking is background noise. It hums and clicks like an old refrigerator in the corner of the kitchen. You don’t notice it until it stops.

"Not thinking," then, is nothing more than the absence of noticing that you’re thinking. It’s not a special state to be achieved, but an ordinary one already happening—like breathing or digesting lunch.

§5. The Comedy of Trying Not to Think​

The moment you try not to think, you are lost. The very attempt to suppress thought creates a cascade of thoughts: Am I not thinking yet? What does not-thinking feel like? Is this it? No, that’s still a thought… Damn it. It’s like telling yourself not to imagine a purple elephant—what pops into your mind immediately? The most garish purple pachyderm imaginable.

Thus, trying not to think is like trying not to blink. It is an exercise in futility, a perfect specimen of the human tendency to invent problems where none exist.

Conclusion: Not Thinking is Not a Thing​

We end where we began: confused, bemused, and slightly more tired than when we started. But perhaps that is precisely the point. To think about not thinking is to engage in one of philosophy’s most delightful language games—a game that has no rules, no winners, and no conclusion.

And yet, here we are, concluding it anyway. Or are we?

Perhaps the essay has merely stopped thinking.
Click to expand...
Think you very much.
 
Hsinat

Hsinat

Casting a 'Have a good day' spell on you!
Joined
Jan 26, 2025
Messages
268
Points
93
Tempokai said:

§1. The Problem of "Not Thinking"​

What does it mean not to think? Is not thinking a state, an activity, or a linguistic confusion? If I say, "I am not thinking," am I thinking about my not-thinking, thereby engaging in the very thing I deny? Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that thinking is an activity I have momentarily forgotten to notice.

But what is it to forget thinking? Do we simply sink into unconsciousness like a cat basking in the sun? Or is it a kind of silence—not the silence of absence, but the silence of presence too obvious to remark upon?

When a man sits quietly on a bench staring at pigeons, is he thinking or not thinking? And if he is not thinking, should we assume his mind is empty? No. His mind is not empty. It is filled with the pigeons.

§2. Language as the Trap​

The trouble begins with language. Language is a cunning devil, always leading us astray with its promises of clarity. Consider the phrase "not thinking."

We might think it points to some inner experience—some state of mind free from concepts, judgments, or mental chatter. But is it? Or is it merely the shadow cast by our grammar, tricking us into believing that there is something to be described, when in fact, there is only the absence of description?

Imagine someone says, "I was thinking of nothing." What does that even mean? Did they think of a great black void? Or did they simply experience the unremarkable passing of time without a mental soundtrack? And if they truly thought of nothing, how could they tell us about it? Language collapses under its own weight here, yet still we speak.

§3. The Myth of Mental Silence​

There is a fantasy among philosophers and self-help gurus alike: the idea of mental silence. They claim that if we could just stop thinking, we would experience some purer, more authentic state of being. But what is a pure state of being, anyway? A bowl of oatmeal is in a pure state of being. Is that what we aspire to?

Even if we could achieve this vaunted state of not-thinking, what would it feel like? Perhaps it would feel like waiting for a bus: a vaguely oppressive suspension of time and intention, punctuated by occasional thoughts like "Did I forget to lock the door?" or "That cloud looks like a horse." Not thinking, then, is not the absence of thought but the mundane continuity of experience—thoughts drifting in and out like weather patterns.

§4. Thought as Background Noise​

We often imagine thinking as a kind of foreground activity—something we do deliberately, with focus and intention. But most thinking is background noise. It hums and clicks like an old refrigerator in the corner of the kitchen. You don’t notice it until it stops.

"Not thinking," then, is nothing more than the absence of noticing that you’re thinking. It’s not a special state to be achieved, but an ordinary one already happening—like breathing or digesting lunch.

§5. The Comedy of Trying Not to Think​

The moment you try not to think, you are lost. The very attempt to suppress thought creates a cascade of thoughts: Am I not thinking yet? What does not-thinking feel like? Is this it? No, that’s still a thought… Damn it. It’s like telling yourself not to imagine a purple elephant—what pops into your mind immediately? The most garish purple pachyderm imaginable.

Thus, trying not to think is like trying not to blink. It is an exercise in futility, a perfect specimen of the human tendency to invent problems where none exist.

Conclusion: Not Thinking is Not a Thing​

We end where we began: confused, bemused, and slightly more tired than when we started. But perhaps that is precisely the point. To think about not thinking is to engage in one of philosophy’s most delightful language games—a game that has no rules, no winners, and no conclusion.

And yet, here we are, concluding it anyway. Or are we?

Perhaps the essay has merely stopped thinking.
Click to expand...
ok bro
 
JayMark

JayMark

It's Not Easy Being Nobody, But Somebody Has To.
Joined
Jul 31, 2024
Messages
1,711
Points
128
Moo. I did my thing. Now I sleep.
 
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