Mindless Jobs, Mindless Pastimes, Mindless Downtime?

[KazeCraven]

So anyway, at work today I was given the task of cropping images, which is pretty mindless in comparison to the everyday reading and critiquing scientific studies (ugrad research, for the curious).

I had to wonder, many people view a 'mindless' job as a terrible thing, but then proceed to 'mindless' downtime, like watching T.V. Perhaps I'm just mixing and matching the preferences of two entirely different groups, but, if not, why would someone think one is good and another bad?

I actually didn't mind the mindless work, as it was a pretty nice change of pace. However, now that I've done that all day, I'm off to more productive stuff for my freetime (or, at least, not mindless). Maybe it's that mindless work is an extended period of time that cannot be ended prematurely?

Thoughts on mindless activities?

 

[Ermine]

It really depends on what you mean by mindless. Some kinds of mindless are perfectly fine, and let my mind wander off and work on other things. Some other mindless things are so boring that I start falling asleep or something and can't get the job done properly.

It's a matter of balance I guess. For example, there are some mindless activities I only enjoy after something mentally strenuous. Everyone needs a break occasionally. Mindless activities can also be a good way to focus on the more physical side of things. Sports, dancing, and playing instruments come to mind.

Even we introverted thinkers need a break every once in a while.

 

[Adamastor]

Now that I have not too many free-time for games, it's kinda of rare for me to spend like 20 hours playing something straight, but it happens when I got the chance (Now I am on school's vacation ).

Thing is that now it happens, it worn me out (It never did before), so I need some kinda of break to continue with a good pace, most of the time I take the dog for a walk, or go running if I really want to set my mind blank, needless to say it is quite a good feeling...

It may be me getting old though...

Mindless activities are not always refreshing, especially when you are obligated to perform them, but in these cases chances are that your head would be wandering in another place, which may be pretty bad, but inevitable (at least for me).

It's quite funny actually, to avoid these kind of situation for each mindless activity that is boring, but requires your focus (all the time, or for a short amount of time in a moment you certainly will not be paying attention), I try to convince myself that the activity is in fact challenging by challenging myself to do some random impossible thing related to hit ( it doesn't work all the time though =/ )

 

[natepc1134]

Hey so i just got a concussion a few weeks ago and i was at the doctors on Thursday and she told me that i should find some mindless pastimes or just easy stuff that doesn't work my mind to hard and i was wondering if anyone could give me some entertaining ideas on what i could do

 

[snafupants]

Hey so i just got a concussion a few weeks ago and i was at the doctors on Thursday and she told me that i should find some mindless pastimes or just easy stuff that doesn't work my mind to hard and i was wondering if anyone could give me some entertaining ideas on what i could do

Continue doing what you're doing.

 

[Late2theParty]

I've always wondered how factory workers back in the day were able to do the same repetitive jobs all day, for decades upon decades. I think I would just die.

I think it takes a personality type not concerned with the big picture or possibilites. Perhaps they think "well what else could I possibly be doing? This is as good as it gets" ?

 

[Cerul]

I've always wondered how factory workers back in the day were able to do the same repetitive jobs all day, for decades upon decades. I think I would just die.

I think it takes a personality type not concerned with the big picture or possibilites. Perhaps they think "well what else could I possibly be doing? This is as good as it gets" ?

I'm a warehouse worker and I'm in the process of dying

 

[SpaceYeti]

I worked in a warehouse. I had two different jobs in two different warehouses. The first job was a stocker. I put things on shelves. All day. The second time I was.... fuck, I don't even remember my title. I took stuff off of shelves. Neither job was remotely fulfilling, but they paid the bills. If you're considering a mindless job like that, reconsider. The military is infinitely more fulfilling, and it's still pretty shitty. Then, I couldn't claim I can think of a job that actually exists which I'd enjoy doing. At least, not one I could realistically obtain. The best I can do is save up and make that gaming company I plan on.

 

[Late2theParty]

I'm a warehouse worker and I'm in the process of dying

I'm sorry

 

[snafupants]

I've always wondered how factory workers back in the day were able to do the same repetitive jobs all day, for decades upon decades. I think I would just die.

I think it takes a personality type not concerned with the big picture or possibilites. Perhaps they think "well what else could I possibly be doing? This is as good as it gets" ?

Those musings presuppose that they wanted to be there and that they did not have any genuine insight into their situation. Both those suppositions are probably somewhat false. Also, people continue to work in sweatshops and there are more people in slavery today than at any time in history, going by sheer numbers and not percentages.

We tend to think everyone in the past was slightly dumber than we are now; sometimes the opposite is the case. Our perspective on the past is mostly skewed: there never was a golden age. The belief in a golden age simply reinforces a slavery to the past. In other words, it's unhealthy to make value judgments about a historical period, or idealized future, when one has a partial understanding of the present and how it was shaped by preceding decades.

Anyway, getting back to the OP, I don't know that there's been a job in my life that affirmed me as a person. I consider the reading and writing I do, the music I listen to, and the friends I keep to exemplify and bolster me as a person. I care about people, principles, beauty and that sort of thing; I don't give a fuck about some ephemeral commercial job.

It's pretty cynical, but the Bukowski poem "Commerce" pretty much summed up my views on how capitalism chews people up and spits them out, underpaid, underappreciated, and sometimes pissed off about it.

 

[Late2theParty]

Those musings presuppose that they wanted to be there and that they did not have any genuine insight into their situation. Both those suppositions are probably somewhat false. Also, people continue to work in sweatshops and there are more people in slavery today than at any time in history, going by sheer numbers and not percentages.

We tend to think everyone in the past was slightly dumber than we are now; sometimes the opposite is the case. Our perspective on the past is mostly skewed: there never was a golden age. The belief in a golden age simply reinforces a slavery to the past. In other words, it's unhealthy to make value judgments about a historical period, or idealized future, when one has a partial understanding of the present and how it was shaped by preceding decades.

I agree with you. I was being genuine when I said...

"I've always wondered how factory workers back in the day were able to do the same repetitive jobs all day..."

I literally don't understand HOW they did it. Not that they were better or worse than myself or personality type, or that they must have had plenty of other better choices etc.

You are right that there are probably more people nowadays in other parts of the world who are working in the sweatshop / repetative condidtions. To clarify I guess I'm thinking of things in relation to mostly America's timeline, which we went from industrial revolution era up until the present... there has been a significant decrease in repetitive labor and factory type jobs over time... and I would even argue a cultural shift in the desire to acquire such a job.

Also when I said ....

I think it takes a personality type not concerned with the big picture or possibilites. Perhaps they think "well what else could I possibly be doing? This is as good as it gets" ?

I may have come off as implying that being concerned with the big picture / possibilities is better than other perspectives. I don't think this is necessarily true. I meant it as more of an observation. I don't think it would be a stretch at all to say types like ours would find this type of job extremely difficult. The ones that would be able to cope with it better, would mostly likely be the types who do not look at the world in such a way... simply in order to deal with the monotony of the situation.... regardless of how they might have found themselves in such a situation.

 

[Akuma]

You are right that there are probably more people nowadays in other parts of the world who are working in the sweatshop / repetative condidtions. To clarify I guess I'm thinking of things in relation to mostly America's timeline, which we went from industrial revolution era up until the present... there has been a significant decrease in repetitive labor and factory type jobs over time... and I would even argue a cultural shift in the desire to acquire such a job.

I'd say it has to do with the society's outlook. In those days and currently in 3rd countries it was about survival and struggling to live day to day. They could think of all the possibilities for happiness but in the end, survival is most important.

In modern day, 1st world countries, people can relax. Their survival is usually guaranteed , instead they put their concerns into indulgence and gaining happiness.

It's the same reason why modern day countries are so much unhappier apparently.

 

[EditorOne]

"I've always wondered how factory workers back in the day were able to do the same repetitive jobs all day..."Take a few steps sideways and consider this: Some people, then, now, and in the future, prefer those jobs and are either tolerant of them or, in some cases, quite fulfilled by them. They like the dependability of knowing that what they'll be asked to do tomorrow is very much like what they do today, and they know how to do it. That makes them no better and no worse than an easily bored INTP, it just makes them different. The differences in personality, intelligence, sociability, emotions, is the source of much of our wonder. If you regard those things, though, as a context with which you know very little, you can put "acceptance of boring, repetitive jobs" in perspective.

From an INTP perspective, our conscious minds rebel at having to pay attention to repetitive tasks we've already become competent at doing. But our nonconscious minds are still at work, and perhaps sometimes work better when the conscious mind is quiet. Perhaps the reason we occasionally find repetitive work or mental downtime a good thing is because it lets the front brain shut up so the back shop can work better, even though we aren't aware that's happening. The trick may be simply to not engage the conscious mind with thoughts of "I'll die if I have to do this for another two hours" or whatever.

It's an interesting question."Boring and repetitive" describes most of the jobs done by the human race in the last 12,500 years, whether it's farmer or stonecutter or woodcutter or miner. I think we do have more opportunities for "INTP compatible" stuff now than ever before. Imagine an INTP personality trapped in the body of a peasant farmer in 1000 AD: No way he's going to school, no way he's going to do anything than shovel manure and milk cows and break his back with a scythe. If he breaks loose he'll find himself drilling marble at a quarry; he'll never be the architect who designed the cathedral where that marble is going. Most of us at least have a choice, no matter how meagre our resources, to ultimately find something that doesn't make us crazy even though there may be a few burger flipping jobs along the journey.