[xpatplayer]

I have realized that I have been following the media far too closely over the last 3 months and that this has made me a negative and lazy person. In order to combat this, I will not read any news, watch any TV or movies or read any current-event blogs until August 1 2014. This will let me focus more on my business and reading philosophy. Unfortunately, this means that I will not be commenting much on the Everything Else forum.

I would like to welcome other forum members to join in on this challenge. You don't need to have conditions as extreme as mine, it could just be limiting the amount of TV you watch or the time you use the internet per week. We will post our journals and challenges on this thread.

Best of luck & let the games begin!

[jamaicabound]

(05-28-2014 02:41 PM)xpatplayer Wrote:  

I have realized that I have been following the media far too closely over the last 3 months and that this has made me a negative and lazy person. In order to combat this, I will not read any news, watch any TV or movies or read any current-event blogs until August 1 2014. This will let me focus more on my business and reading philosophy. Unfortunately, this means that I will not be commenting much on the Everything Else forum.

I would like to welcome other forum members to join in on this challenge. You don't need to have conditions as extreme as mine, it could just be limiting the amount of TV you watch or the time you use the internet per week. We will post our journals and challenges on this thread.

Best of luck & let the games begin!

LIstening to the media is a double edged sword. I think its good to follow the media. Staying up with all types of news is a good thing because oftentimes seeing media stories is what gives you ideas for business ideas or investments based on the climate of the country or world.

At the same time I notice when you follow the media,news especially politics too closely you get sucked in and it also pisses you off. I used to read DrudgeReport everday and watch Oreilly and read newspapers. I wound up being very pissed off and negative at the stupidity of this country, the general public, politicians.

[NovaVirtu]

This is a good idea. The news is our head toxic- fills your head with cynicism and pessimism. Just cut it out all together.

Only news I watch is the occasional VICE mini-documentary. (some of their video content is fine, don't read anything written by them)

[username]

(05-28-2014 03:18 PM)NovaVirtu Wrote:  

This is a good idea. The news is our head toxic- fills your head with cynicism and pessimism. Just cut it out all together.

I've stopped several months ago and it has made me a better happier person.

[Switch]

I totally cut out facebook. I still like to stay updated on sports and other news though. I need to stop wasting time on the Everything Else forum. That's probably my biggest time waster right now. So starting right now, no Everything Else until June 15th. I'll read actual books and practice coding instead.

[xpatplayer]

3 hrs in

Damn, its getting hard already. Logged onto Facebook once and read that stupid article written by the Jeopardy nerd. I will be logging into Facebook and my email accounts once a day from now. Besides that, I've just been thinking with more clarity and depth. Started filling out forms to register my business and came up with a good idea for a second stream of income.

[Brodiaga]

I cut out TV and TV news pretty much 100% - no cable, no free channels, only Netflix. I still read news on the Internet, though.

[From Vegas to Tokyo]

I need to follow business news for work, but I have basically cut out facebook. Never use the actual website, just have Messenger on my phone for keeping up with people and that's it. The new trend of people (mostly unattractive girls, but also some white nights) posting these up these upworthy links about fat acceptance and feminism and such makes me want to vomit. I can't even look at that stuff anymore.

Follow the real news, figure out what's happening in the world, but don't read bullshit, and you'll be much happier as a person.

[Mage]

RVF hot topics is the only news source I constantly fallow.

After I see an event here I may check mainstream media for more, but I don't read other news.

[loki]

i stopped watching TV a few years ago, as a 6month experiment ...and just never bothered going back to it because i realised how lazy it made me and how it fills our minds with rubbish. I still read the news every day with out fail but I refuse to watch TV at all in my own home.

The spare time i now have has been spent on studying new subjects (particle, quantum physics and passive optical networking of late), making bank, getting healthier, game and building my business interests up. Some people think I am strange when they find out i don't bother with tv which comes up when i am asked if i watched something they did the night before but really don't give a fuck what others think anymore, I only care for my own opinion of myself now days.

In short, life is way better with out tv and i am much happier for it.

[Saweeep]

I read the UK Times (a serious newspaper) every day for nearly 15 years cover to cover until about 6 months ago.

Although I enjoyed being knowledgable on a range of subjects I concluded that it wasn't actually making me a happier, better person.

I've never been a big TV watcher anyway (other than live sports).

I feel much more content these days tbh; I don't think I am missing out greatly on much.

[Bill]

I am in. I cut tv but it came back because there was political problems here turkey. But for 5 days I did not open the tv. I am going to put it in another room.

As for media it´s very difficult. There are two forums where I read and write. I try to use them in the evenings but it´s difficult. I try to establish a mantra routine to fight the urge. I am saying that I am not going to use the forums like 100 times a day so hopefully it will become a habit.

Same with porn. I try to use porn only in the evening when I am already in my pyjamas and going to bed to read a novel.

[shanked]

Media doesn't make you a lazy person. YOU make you a lazy person. Some of the threads being posted lately are just getting silly they are just ways to procrastinate.

If you want to live an amazing life then you have to want, I mean really want it. Like Eric Thomas says you have to want success as much as you want to breathe.

[Chaos]

No reason to be extreme and cut everything out. If you feel you are spending too much time on social media,TV and other jerkoff things, then allow yourself to do that only for one hour a day.
Then you have 23 hours to be productive. If you are still lazy and negative after that, then maybe you better look for the answer of your problem somewhere else.

[loki]

I disagree, please tell me how tv improves our lives, how does reality tv make us better people, how does it make us smarter by watching mindless trash or sensationalized reports or endless news updates about tragedy or murder?

[xpatplayer]

(05-29-2014 10:03 AM)shanked Wrote:  

Media doesn't make you a lazy person. YOU make you a lazy person. Some of the threads being posted lately are just getting silly they are just ways to procrastinate.

If you want to live an amazing life then you have to want, I mean really want it. Like Eric Thomas says you have to want success as much as you want to breathe.

Well, media didn't make me a lazy person, the negativity in it made me a more negative and pessimistic person and that negativity slowly made me a lazier person (if you knew me IRL, you wouldn't call me lazy).

Read the first post again, its a way to become more focused on important matters. If you want to troll, troll someone on a troll thread. If you're going to sip the haterade, don't comment and try to derail this thread.

[xpatplayer]

(05-29-2014 10:17 AM)Chaos Wrote:  

No reason to be extreme and cut everything out. If you feel you are spending too much time on social media,TV and other jerkoff things, then allow yourself to do that only for one hour a day.
Then you have 23 hours to be productive. If you are still lazy and negative after that, then maybe you better look for the answer of your problem somewhere else.

I tried that but I just end up thinking about whatever I read for that hour or two for the rest of the day. The media tends to be very sensationalist and a lot of the matter made me angry about how the world is run. And I should have cut out TV shows and movies from my life years ago, since they have brought no value and only provide subpar entertainment to my life.

[xpatplayer]

(05-29-2014 08:41 AM)CrashBangWallop Wrote:  

I read the UK Times (a serious newspaper) every day for nearly 15 years cover to cover until about 6 months ago.

Although I enjoyed being knowledgable on a range of subjects I concluded that it wasn't actually making me a happier, better person.

I've never been a big TV watcher anyway (other than live sports).

I feel much more content these days tbh; I don't think I am missing out greatly on much.

I was thinking of getting a subscription to the Economist, FT or WSJ so that I have an idea of what's going on in the world. Most other papers are simply sensationalist trash.

[Bill]

(05-29-2014 10:23 AM)loki Wrote:  

I disagree, please tell me how tv improves our lives, how does reality tv make us better people, how does it make us smarter by watching mindless trash or sensationalized reports or endless news updates about tragedy or murder?

Local tv is good when you are in foreign countries to get the general vibe. But that should really be only for some month or so then it´s enough and does not help anything.

[Chemistry]

(05-29-2014 10:17 AM)Chaos Wrote:  

No reason to be extreme and cut everything out. If you feel you are spending too much time on social media,TV and other jerkoff things, then allow yourself to do that only for one hour a day.

To be fair, sometimes one lacks the self-control to limit the time spent to one single hour. I realize that this is a symptom of some inner weakness that needs to be strengthened, but until I have developed the self-control to limit my own usage, it was way easier to cut my TV, and cut my internet, and cut data off my phone.

If I want internet, I have to go to coffee shops, shell out a couple bucks for a coffee, and it forces me to be very focused and purposeful.

^ My experience, anyways

[ P.S. Bonus: Also helps kill porn addiction ]

[xpatplayer]

Day 2

Didn't watch any TV or read any news today, but I didn't accomplish much either. I registered for a few Coursera courses, worked out, & played some video games (not cutting those out). I have to wait for some legal formalities in order to qualify for a loan and I don't have a car so I'll have to rough it out for a couple more days.

Any suggestions of something productive I could do in the meantime? No TV = more time on my hands to make a positive impact on my life.

[Chaos]

^ Approach a few girls?

[PHC19]

My (ex) woman took the TV with her when she moved out. I don't intend to replace it. Shut the FB down when she left also, Instagram probably isn't far behind. I haven't watched the mainstream news closely in years. I have a journalism degree...the tripe that passes for "news" today would make Edward R. Murrow roll in his grave.

I used to follow ZeroHedge, etc. for a long time, but it's depressing. Now, I mainly stick to podcasts during my daily routines, particularly cooking, working out, etc. Some of my faves include EconTalk, Joe Rogan, Dan Carlin (Hardcore History and Common Sense), Stefan Molyneux, and Bryan Callen. Much more interesting and engaging.

And books, of course.

[runsonmagic]

I'm going on a blogging hiatus at the end of the day. I'll probably also be absent from RVF for a bit, and am using it as an opportunity to do a full social media & online cleanse till July. Count me in.

[Bill]

As to Tv it works well but I don´t know what to do about some forums. Looks like I am kind of addicted but I am not shure.