i used to be on the receiving end of my ADHD pretty bad throughout my highschool years, i /always/ needed something to do, or think about, or both! i had the capacity to sit down and read for hours on end opening 20 different weblinks, but that wasn't without distractions from my own mind, it wasn't until around 15 years ago when i fell on cannabis that in being overly stoned disengaged me with myself so much, 'The High' that ensued smoking gave me some mental empty space, and having been in that space a lot a long time ago, i had found This Space within me to the maddening observance of other people to be able to sit without moving my limbs, and stare at a blank wall, blankly, both mentally & emotionally. This "nothingness" isn't really /nothing/, such is The/A space where Life Emerges, kind of like a wormhole, where anything may pop into my existence through the space_time hyper-tunnel, but i have no idea nor control over what which happens and materializes since it's not a looking glass we coluld peer through. This ^idle^ state of being and existing has become second to my nature, as, for example, my most recent affliction of an addiction is: strolling through the nearby Forest After Dark & Before Dawn - amidst the near inperceptible blanket of night... A Billion Glow Worms await flickering their bioluminescent butts~<3 {alas we merely may not perceive their signals with overwhelming daylight!}
i repost the original text for thee to have fun translating with...
the Following Chinese Article on 'useless' tasks/life is posted in the Wechat group `每晚一卷书`:
Having mentioned that doing nothing is well & fine, And probably much a desperate need in this modern barrage of technologies, our beingness craves liberation in absolute relinquished freedom, but also its polar-opposite, remedy with reassured reinstatement of our [re]incarnation. We probably both have the disease of being a workaholic, but i think it's our intents and motives that which keeps us busy, our incessant need, desire, and drive to know & understand more and all of it, which ultimately & undoubtedly ends in us up-skilling, and then giving back to the society with whatever's accessible to us, because that is what we humanistically and intrinsically value in our Lives(speaking as a member of The Curious_ADHD infected).
Then to the point of AI, that is only a means to an end, where in these cases The User has placed all the importance on 'an end', instead of figuring out 'those means' available/possible. We had long built atom bombs, we dropped 2 on Japan, we had Long formulated hydrogen bombs 1000x more destructive, yet we do not see these weapons thrown around in any of the current wars, then it is expected that ai shall follow a similar route despite its rather recent emergence, of which we are still in the more disruptive beginnings by ways all new communication technologies that transcends older tools and methods, Are. However, we have also already used it for a lot of good that had propelled All Our Sciences by 10~30 years ahead with only just one program: 'Alpha Fold', as long as we try not to dictate certain outcomes by directing it with secular questions, ai shall remain a helpful tool, let it not become a terrible master.
A lot here to think about! But I like your description of being in the high state as something like a wormhole. From one angle it can appear that nothing is going on, from another it’s pure activity.
Some of what you wrote reminded me of Adorno's essay on free time. Though reading it again now I find myself liking it less. Maybe Adorno could have benefitted from a hangout lab.
This makes me think of an interview with sociologist Hartmut Rosa, who describes our modern culture as one that needs constant acceleration. But, his response isn’t to advocate for slowing down. Instead, he talks about the need for “resonance”. He doesn’t have a short answer to what that means, but I think he’s on to something.
I do think that the slow ____ movements have sort of run their course. Everyone seems to realize that the pace is just quicker. Resonance seems like something worth considering!
i used to be on the receiving end of my ADHD pretty bad throughout my highschool years, i /always/ needed something to do, or think about, or both! i had the capacity to sit down and read for hours on end opening 20 different weblinks, but that wasn't without distractions from my own mind, it wasn't until around 15 years ago when i fell on cannabis that in being overly stoned disengaged me with myself so much, 'The High' that ensued smoking gave me some mental empty space, and having been in that space a lot a long time ago, i had found This Space within me to the maddening observance of other people to be able to sit without moving my limbs, and stare at a blank wall, blankly, both mentally & emotionally. This "nothingness" isn't really /nothing/, such is The/A space where Life Emerges, kind of like a wormhole, where anything may pop into my existence through the space_time hyper-tunnel, but i have no idea nor control over what which happens and materializes since it's not a looking glass we coluld peer through. This ^idle^ state of being and existing has become second to my nature, as, for example, my most recent affliction of an addiction is: strolling through the nearby Forest After Dark & Before Dawn - amidst the near inperceptible blanket of night... A Billion Glow Worms await flickering their bioluminescent butts~<3 {alas we merely may not perceive their signals with overwhelming daylight!}
i repost the original text for thee to have fun translating with...
the Following Chinese Article on 'useless' tasks/life is posted in the Wechat group `每晚一卷书`:
"无用”的人生，最高级
2025年06月13日 01:00 2571人
“挫败时看志气，
闲暇时看心性。”
作者：阿绮
来源：阿绮时尚（ID: gh_b86ad1dd0bd5）
梁文道在《悦己》中说：
“读一些无用的书，做一无用的事，花一些无用的时间，都是为了在一切已知之外，保留一个超越自己的机会，人生中一些很了不起的变化，就是来自这种时刻。”
在这个追逐功利的时代，人们往往将价值衡量系于 “有用” 之上，殊不知——无用之用，方为大用。
正是这些无用，使我们成为了有趣且丰富的人。
读一些无用的书
在知识焦虑弥漫的当下，人们读书常问 ：“能否提升技能？”“可否助力晋升？”，却忘了书海之中，那些看似 “无用” 的文字，才是滋养心灵的甘露。
柏拉图说：“如果你有两块面包，请拿一块去换取水仙花。”
那些不关乎功利的书籍，便是精神世界的 “水仙花”。
读陶渊明的 “采菊东篱下，悠然见南山”，虽不能教我们谋职技能，却让我们在喧嚣中寻得一方宁静的田园；
读李白的 “天生我材必有用，千金散尽还复来”，虽无法直接带来财富，却赋予我们直面挫折的勇气。
读《夜航船》时，常为张岱记录的奇闻轶事发笑：和尚偷肉被狗追、书生用《论语》治蛇毒。
《闲情偶寄》时，李渔教人如何插花、品茶、布置居室，这些“雕虫小技”恰是治愈焦虑的良药。
这些故事不会出现在考卷上，却让历史褪去严肃的面具，显露出烟火气的温度。
当指尖抚过泛黄的书页，仿佛触摸到古人从容的呼吸，让这些无用之书，在功利主义的褶皱里，打捞起一弯温柔的月光，让心灵在文字的海洋中得以栖息与升华。
做一些无用的事
生活中，人们总被 “有用” 的事填满日程，忙着追逐奔跑，却很少停下脚步，做一些看似 “无用” 的小事。
周作人说：“我们在日常必需的东西之外，必须还有一点无用的游戏和享乐，生活才觉得有意思。”
曾见有人在午后的阳光里，静静地侍弄一盆花草，修剪枝叶、浇水施肥，不为售卖，只为享受植物生长的乐趣；
也见有人在傍晚的湖边，独自垂钓，不求收获多少鱼儿，只为沉浸于那份宁静与等待。
朋友在阳台种了二十盆薄荷，同事笑她"不如种菜实在"。
可当夏夜闷热难耐时，她随手摘几片薄荷叶泡茶，看月光在碧绿的叶片上流淌，忽然懂得《浮生六记》里“闲来静处，且将诗酒猖狂”的妙处。
这些事，看似对生活没有直接的助益，却让庸常的日子泛起粼粼波光，让人在其中找回内心的平和。
就像白居易 “晚来天欲雪，能饮一杯无” 的邀约，不过是邀友小酌，不谈俗务，只论风月，这份 “无用” 的温情，却成为了人生中珍贵的记忆。
如果你有时间，请拿一部分的时光用来“虚度”，用在“无用”之事上。
做无用之事，不是浪费时间，而是给生活留白，让生命在从容不迫中感受时光的美好，于无声处听见心灵的回响。
做一个“无用”的人
世人常以 “有用” 论英雄，衡量一个人是否成功，往往看其财富多少、地位高低。
然而，真正高级的人生，是做一个看似 “无用” ，却内心丰盈的人。
终南山隐士张二冬在《借山而居》里写道：
“我喂鸡、种菜、画画，不是为了成为谁，而是为了不成为谁。”
这种"不成为谁"的勇气，让我想起陶渊明“久在樊笼里，复得返自然”的解脱。
影视剧中，经常会有这样的丈夫和父亲角色：
几个关系比较好的家庭，总有一个丈夫和父亲是最没有本事、没有能力、没有钱，却最有担当、有气度，能跟孩子打成一片。
这样的男人，乍一看平凡无奇，没什么大优点；但是相处久了，身上都是可以温暖滋养别人的光。
看似“无用”，却是限量版。
木心曾说：
“无为是一种为，不是一种无。同样地，无用也是一种用，而不是无。”
做一个“无用”的人，不是消极避世，而是在灵魂的褶皱里种下莲花，让生命在喧嚣中自成清凉世界。
当我们不再执着于 “有用”，便会发现 “无用” 之中蕴含着生命的真谛。
读无用之书，做无用之事，做 “无用” 之人。
这种 “无用” 的人生，如空谷幽兰，散发着淡淡的幽香，在岁月的长河中，让生命绽放出最本真的光芒。
- End -
==============
Having mentioned that doing nothing is well & fine, And probably much a desperate need in this modern barrage of technologies, our beingness craves liberation in absolute relinquished freedom, but also its polar-opposite, remedy with reassured reinstatement of our [re]incarnation. We probably both have the disease of being a workaholic, but i think it's our intents and motives that which keeps us busy, our incessant need, desire, and drive to know & understand more and all of it, which ultimately & undoubtedly ends in us up-skilling, and then giving back to the society with whatever's accessible to us, because that is what we humanistically and intrinsically value in our Lives(speaking as a member of The Curious_ADHD infected).
Then to the point of AI, that is only a means to an end, where in these cases The User has placed all the importance on 'an end', instead of figuring out 'those means' available/possible. We had long built atom bombs, we dropped 2 on Japan, we had Long formulated hydrogen bombs 1000x more destructive, yet we do not see these weapons thrown around in any of the current wars, then it is expected that ai shall follow a similar route despite its rather recent emergence, of which we are still in the more disruptive beginnings by ways all new communication technologies that transcends older tools and methods, Are. However, we have also already used it for a lot of good that had propelled All Our Sciences by 10~30 years ahead with only just one program: 'Alpha Fold', as long as we try not to dictate certain outcomes by directing it with secular questions, ai shall remain a helpful tool, let it not become a terrible master.
A lot here to think about! But I like your description of being in the high state as something like a wormhole. From one angle it can appear that nothing is going on, from another it’s pure activity.
I love the idea of hangout labs!
Some of what you wrote reminded me of Adorno's essay on free time. Though reading it again now I find myself liking it less. Maybe Adorno could have benefitted from a hangout lab.
I think we could all benefit from a hangout lab! I will have to revisit the essay…
This makes me think of an interview with sociologist Hartmut Rosa, who describes our modern culture as one that needs constant acceleration. But, his response isn’t to advocate for slowing down. Instead, he talks about the need for “resonance”. He doesn’t have a short answer to what that means, but I think he’s on to something.
I do think that the slow ____ movements have sort of run their course. Everyone seems to realize that the pace is just quicker. Resonance seems like something worth considering!