Digital Minimalism

Intermittent positive reinforcement revolves around receiving rewards at an inconsistent rate (think of a slot machine) rather than receiving them as a guaranteed result of certain actions (if I do my homework, I will get an A).

It plays a big role in developing a habit, as rewards delivered unpredictably are more enticing to us than those delivered based on a known pattern.

As Blaise Pascal put it bluntly:

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

Give your brain regular doses of quiet; alternate between solitude and connection, we as human beings need both to thrive. It is best to stay away from technology from time to time - take regular walks, alone, without distractions.

Nietzsche’s favorite activity was taking strolls:

“Only thoughts reached by walking have value.”

One other way to enjoy solitude and to discover your thoughts is to write letters to yourself, or keep a diary.

Us humans are wired to be social.

However, studies show that the more connected we are on social media, the more we are likely to feel lonely, because they take away from real socializing.

There needs to be connection, rather than just conversation. One tip to improve face-to-face communication is to share that you are going to be in the office, or at a coffee shop, at a certain date and time, and let everyone know that they can tag along.

Habits also apply to the digital realm. And in this realm, Cal believes in the following philosophy of use:

Each digital tool must have a certain purpose to allow yourself to use it, and under certain constraints.

This habit of heavy filtering of digital services arose from the belief that clutter is costly, and that optimization is important.

...is satisfying, and using only those services which feel like they provide real value is much more satisfying - and rewarding - than scrolling mindlessly through countless apps.

There is a law of diminishing returns in tech, too - a few services are important, even essential, but many more and you start to get lost in the noise and you can find yourself unable to focus on and prioritize what’s important. Not all things are worth your time, and they all have a cost - immediate, or in the long run, as Thoreau’s “new economics” pointed out.

We’re living in an “attention economy”: gathering consumers’ attention and then repackaging and selling it to advertisers.

To remove yourself from this trade, remove social media apps from your phone, or limit your interaction with them.

...represents a suggested cognitive limit to the number of people with which we can interact meaningfully and regularly (i.e. maintain social relationships). This number can only be so high (between 100 and 250), so having thousands of online “friends” is misleading to our impression of social connection.

Strive to keep fewer, but more meaningful connections, and strive to consume less in this multimedia world, and enjoy what you do consume more.

In the end, it’s not about the technology, it’s about the quality of your life.

Before giving up using addictive technology, set up meaningful and rewarding leisure activities to fill your schedule.

There are great benefits to choosing action over more traditional leisure activities, the so-called ”strenuous leisure”, or, as Theodore Roosevelt endorsed:

“I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life.”

• Use skill to produce valuable things;
• Prioritize demanding activities over passive consumption;
• Seek activities that require real-world, structured social interactions.

There are many tips that can help you live a more fulfilling and less dependent on the digital. You can:

• Join various communities;
• Schedule to build or fix something every week or month;
• Set up a calendar for seasonal leisure plans, objectives, and habits.