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Combining relaxation with activity
It’s the idea that the more we try to do something, the worse we become at it.
Suppose, for instance, that you are learning how to ride a bike for the first time. You are told to hold the handlebars a certain way, to push off with this foot, to pedal at that speed, to sit in a specific position, to hold your balance here, and so on. There is a small book’s worth of micro-instructions when learning to ride a bike. When we ride a bike, we know all these things, but we do not try to do them. They just happen.
In Huxley’s words, it’s “combining relaxation with activity.”
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MORE IDEAS ON THIS
“The harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less we shall succeed.”
ALDOUS HUXLEY
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You can’t force it
There are many moments in life when trying harder makes things worse. When you have a mosquito bite, a broken bone, or a nosebleed, you leave it be. Picking, prodding, and probing only exacerbate the problem. So, too, with a lot of life’s major moments.
Perhaps it is time to step away from ...
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The harder you try, the harder you fall
There are many moments in life when trying too hard is counterproductive. Aldous Huxley called this the law of reversed effort.
Try as we might, it is nearly impossible to consciously will yourself to sleep. Sleep comes to those who let their mind wander and focus on anything other...
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Wu Wei
But, there’s a spiritual or holistic way of viewing the “law of reversed effort” as well. It’s something that has a much longer history than Aldous Huxley — it’s the Daoist idea of “Wu Wei.”
'The inaction'
The word “surrender” comes laden with negative connotation. Surrender is coward...
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CURATED FROM
IDEAS CURATED BY
By curating the content I consume, I document my journey through time and space.
Being stuck in overthinking and feeling bad about it makes it a vicious cycle. Sitting back and relaxing makes it easy.
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Other curated ideas on this topic:
What is emotional acceptance?
Often we have an uncomforable feeling, such as sadness, fear or shame, our first reaction is to reject that feeling.
We may tell ourselves that feeling is a bad feeling that we do not want to have. Then we may do something to try to get rid of the feeling, such as trying to push it awa...
Change begins with your view
With an awareness about psychological reactance, you have the power to recognize and disarm it.
Instead of flaking on commitments because of a knee-jerk feeling, you can change your perspective on the situation.
By changing the dialogue, you empower yourself. Now you’re in charge. Yo...
Overarching Lessons Between Deep Work and Messy
- If we don't produce anything, we won't be of any value to the economy. Technology is rapidly evolving and staying as we are is not going to cut it. Push yourself to try new things.
- Autonomy is the key to getting work done. It is important to have a workspace where you have control ...
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