Staring into Space [thread split]

[IfloatTHRUlife]

One quick thought, do any of you tend to stare off into space a lot, in the past ive been laughed at for staring blankly at the sky or whatever is there. A while back my friends girlfriend was trying to make fun of me for staring at the Tv while it was off for about 40 minutes, i didn't even notice i had been looking at the tv or that i had been sitting there that long. I was living there for about 5 months and she told everyone she saw the story, i had to explain that i was thinking about something even though i don't know what it was. Then just yesterday i was sitting with 5 or 6 of my friends from my neighborhood and in the middle of a conversation they were having about school, they all stopped and directed their attention to me, i had been sitting there for about 10 minutes staring at a tree being lit up by the sunset that looked amazing... i even remember what i was was thinking about, i had realized while i was staring up at the tree that the needles on pine trees are actually the leaves..this had been astonishing to me since i never thought of it that way..even made me feel stupid for never noticing. i dont feel to bad though, i told my friend what i had been thinking and he told me i was dumb then looked up at the tree and didn't say anything but i could tell he was thinking in his head, " woah dude, that tree doesnt have any leaves".

 

[Agent Intellect]

Re: Shout Club!!!

One quick thought, do any of you tend to stare off into space a lot, in the past ive been laughed at for staring blankly at the sky or whatever is there. A while back my friends girlfriend was trying to make fun of me for staring at the Tv while it was off for about 40 minutes, i didn't even notice i had been looking at the tv or that i had been sitting there that long. I was living there for about 5 months and she told everyone she saw the story, i had to explain that i was thinking about something even though i don't know what it was. Then just yesterday i was sitting with 5 or 6 of my friends from my neighborhood and in the middle of a conversation they were having about school, they all stopped and directed their attention to me, i had been sitting there for about 10 minutes staring at a tree being lit up by the sunset that looked amazing... i even remember what i was was thinking about, i had realized while i was staring up at the tree that the needles on pine trees are actually the leaves..this had been astonishing to me since i never thought of it that way..even made me feel stupid for never noticing. i dont feel to bad though, i told my friend what i had been thinking and he told me i was dumb then looked up at the tree and didn't say anything but i could tell he was thinking in his head, " woah dude, that tree doesnt have any leaves".

what is the shout club coming to? theres nothing emo about this thread!

but anyway, i don't know if i do that ot not, but nobody has ever pointed it out to me, so maybe i do and don't know about it. i'm pretty sure i do it when i get high though.

 

[Jesin]

Re: Shout Club!!!

i told my friend what i had been thinking and he told me i was dumb then looked up at the tree and didn't say anything but i could tell he was thinking in his head, " woah dude, that tree doesnt have any leaves".

You sure? He could have been thinking, "Come on, everyone past the age of 5 knows those are leaves!"

Sorry, I just thought it was pretty obvious.

 

[loveofreason]

*moved from shout club*

Staring into space is, perhaps, my most highly developed skill.

Such a shame it seems to others that I'm idle, leading them to interrupt me just at the point when all that staring is about to yield something precious. It's like trying to lay golden eggs but getting kicked off the nest too soon. Think I'm egg-bound now.

 

[Ermine]

Yes, I do that a lot, especially when I'm supposed to be listening to people I find boring. However, I've developed it into a very useful skill in art (identifying colors or lines in a small space).

 

[Kuu]

Oooh I stare into space, walls, ceilings, floors, screens, people...

People always interrupt me, thinking I'm sleepy or sick or something...

 

[Raison D'etre]

I stare into space all the time. Sometimes I stare at a blank piece of paper. Instead of writing a story, I let it play in my mind. In the end, I don't write anything at all.

 

[Decaf]

I have to be careful where I stare off because sometimes I'm unintentionally looking at someone and making them uncomfortable.

 

[Dissident]

I guess the ideal thing would be to close our eyes, but then people would think we are asleep or fainted, there is no easy way out of it

Hey! Lets carry a "Do not disturb" sign around and put it around our necks when we are gonna think about something

 

[Vrecknidj]

I was once lecturing on some topic when another thought hit me. I stopped mid-sentence, continued pacing a bit, followed the thought, and then, without realizing how funny it was, said "Pardon me, I'm having an ellipsis."

I usually have about 90 students in my class. I think maybe 3 or 4 even knew what an ellipsis was, much less how it was applicable, or funny.

I continued with my thought for another couple minutes, and then paused to look at all the college students who were staring at me (some were whispering things to one another, probably not kind).

I then went to the lectern, made a couple notes (so as not to forget everything I'd thought), and went back to lecturing as if nothing had happened.

It's not quite staring into space, but it's close.

Dave

 

[NoID10ts]

I guess the ideal thing would be to close our eyes, but then people would think we are asleep or fainted, there is no easy way out of it

Hey! Lets carry a "Do not disturb" sign around and put it around our necks when we are gonna think about something

That's a good idea! Maybe we could have shirts printed up! We could sell them and pay a non INTP to design a logo for this forum!

On the space staring issue I do it alot too. I guess it is inevitable when you live in your head. My wife is always asking me what I am thinking about but I know she wouldn't understand or care so I say "nothing". I swear to god she must think I am mildly retarded.

 

[Kuu]

I have to be careful where I stare off because sometimes I'm unintentionally looking at someone and making them uncomfortable.

I do that... on purpose. It's interesting to see how people react. I've actually met a couple of nice people this way

 

[Aphasia]

. I stopped mid-sentence, continued pacing a bit, followed the thought, and then, without realizing how funny it was, said "Pardon me, I'm having an ellipsis."
Dave

XD

I stare into space a lot. People also stare back at me when I seem to be staring at them . I think I tried making a resolution to stop drifting off so much, then forgot about it half a minute later .

 

[loveofreason]

"Do not Disturb. Multidimensional Thought Puzzle in Process"

"Do not Disturb. Occupant is constructing Unified Field Theory from paper-clips and string. Interruption will result in collapse of space-time continuum and almost certain annihilation."

"Do not Disturb. Can't possibly imagine what to have for dinner. Will you cook for me?"

 

[Artifice Orisit]

Imagine two INTPs lost in thought, it would look like a staring contest.

"Do not Disturb, I'm busy not paying attention" (hey this is fun)

"Don't ask me what I'm thinking, I'll forget"

"Do not Disturb me, or I'll Disturb you"

"Don't ask me what I'm thinking, you don't want to know"

"Please somebody, for the love of god Disturb me" (reverse psychology)

"I may be staring at you but that doesn’t mean I know your there"

"Its okay, your not really that interesting"

 

[Decaf]

"Do not Disturb. Can't possibly imagine what to have for dinner. Will you cook for me?"

"Don't ask me what I'm thinking, I'll forget"

"I may be staring at you but that doesn’t mean I know your there"

Those are fantastic

"Do not disturb. I've almost got this cold fusion thing figured out."

"Do not disturb unless you WANT to hear my theories."

 

[IfloatTHRUlife]

Do not disturb.... i don't like you...and i don't even know you...*shakes fist*

 

[furbycow]

I stare off into space ALL the time. The only time it's really noticeable, though, is in the car when someone directs a question to me in the middle of a conversation with someone else while I'm staring out the window. My family is so used to it now, after a few seconds pause without my answer, they just sigh and say "She's not listening, is she?".

I don't mean to ignore them, I'm just thinking about things that are much more interesting.

 

[zxc]

Mmm very often. Sometimes I pretend that I'm reading a book... but then I have to also turn pages every now and then to make it look like I'm actually reading

 

[Agent Intellect]

i've been trying to pay attention to how my face is when i start thinking (which sucks because i interrupt my train of thought with "how does my face look?" thoughts) and it seems that i have more of an amused expression when i'm not paying attention to myself. not a laughing or happy fast, just mildly amused. i found that strange.

 

[Wisp]

Do Not Disturb : Radioactive thought process, may cause cancer or death!

 

[SafetyInNumbers]

Yeah, do it often. You have to be quite careful if you do it in crowded places as you can never be sure if somone will go and put their arse right in your line of site. Man, people think you're a right perv.

 

[Devercia]

I don't stair so much as pace. My mother is always asking where I am going. My art teacher insisted I stop, presumably disturbed by the part of his mind that was tracking my movements.

 

[Jesin]

Yeah, I pace sometimes. Even worse, I wander.

 

[Fleur]

I pace a lot too... Sometimes it`s easier to think in movement.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i play chess against a computer and listen to music. very relaxing, lets me think without being distracted by TV and other shit.

 

[Kronos Zul]

I stare into space all the time. Sometimes I stare at a blank piece of paper. Instead of writing a story, I let it play in my mind. In the end, I don't write anything at all.

That's me. Too bad I usually end up getting in trouble for that. :\

 

[Waterstiller]

"Don't ask me what I'm thinking, I'll forget"

I'm tempted to make some pins that say that and hand them to all the lovely absent-minded people I meet.

And yes, I space out all the time. I think this problem coincides with the "space out while reading and watching TV" thread.

 

[Chronomar]

I stare into space. I am sort of thinking/not thinking. It's a strange feeling, but something I've been doing my whole life. There are even baby pictures of me with that same expression on my face.

 

[Jordan~]

I don't spare into space to think, I tend to do something methodical and repetitive to think, like folding paper or drawing patterns. Keeps my hands busy.

 

[nooli4]

I don't spare into space to think, I tend to do something methodical and repetitive to think, like folding paper or drawing patterns. Keeps my hands busy.

Me too! If I want to think, I divert my attention to anything nearby like I fold paper or flick my pen, even if someone else is speaking to me. Sometimes I do this while reading things but then someone usually realises and irritatingly points out, "You're not actually reading it, are you?" In fact, I do something similar if I am uncomfortable with a conversation.

 

[Raku]

I don't spare into space to think, I tend to do something methodical and repetitive to think, like folding paper or drawing patterns. Keeps my hands busy.

Yeah I do the same. I actually carry toys around (like a small ball or yo yo) to keep my hands busy when 'idling' I guess that's just some weird thing I do :P

Off course when I need to think out practical stuff with structure I don't really do stuff like that, since its harder to focus on keeping it all structured.

Also I sometimes just stare into 'space' but like everyone else here I get interrupted a lot. If I'm not interrupted I take my time to wander off until the outside world needs some attention. It works well when I started up some discussion which after a bit starts to bore me because it's getting silly or generally uninteresting. Some people don't even notice me wandering off though.

 

[kaririloto]

I typically find things about life or death, or other "deep" subjects to reflect upon instead of doing the usual conformist educational activities. This causes me to somewhat "stare" It annoys me GREATLY when someone either: a) Looks where I'm apparently "looking" and asks, confused: "What are you looking at?" or b) "Why are you Staring at me?!"

It happens.

 

[Ogion]

Yes, kaririloto, that annoys me too. Especially in public transport that's hard. Because it is not easy to find a spot where to stare without someone to be confused by it. So most of the times i close my eyes, or stare at the ceiling, but it is harder to get into the right stare-mode, because i am aware of other people who could observe me and somehow this breaks my concentration, even if they don't do anything.

Ogion

 

[kaririloto]

Yes, kaririloto, that annoys me too. Especially in public transport that's hard. Because it is not easy to find a spot where to stare without someone to be confused by it. So most of the times i close my eyes, or stare at the ceiling, but it is harder to get into the right stare-mode, because i am aware of other people who could observe me and somehow this breaks my concentration, even if they don't do anything.

Ogion

Hmm...closing one's eyes during reflection? I'll try that sometime. I guess I really don't care whether people notice or not, so I never thought to do so. I can see how it would break your thought-stream, though. I suppose a shrug and and a "Sorry, I was just thinking" will allow them to leave you alone. Or perhaps I should carry around copies of The Treachery of Images so that people try understanding that instead of questioning my 'motives'!! Ha, I'm so going to do that now.

 

[Chronomar]

Ha! Just today I was staring into space and forgot to blink. My contacts dried up, and one fell out of my eye. It was at lunch, and anyone with contacts knows how your eyes start watering up when contacts dry out. So, the whole table thought I was crying, which, being unlikely from me, was extreamly funny to them.

 

[grey matters]

When you stare out into space try to aim your head so it appears that you are staring above the head level of those around you. It avoids confusion. If you do this enough you will find that there as many mesmerizing things to space out on up there as there are at head level and below.

I space out a lot. When I was younger everyone thought I was just a dumb blond, Now I'm just old. It's funny, same behavior, different interpretations.

Unfortunately now a days "spacing out" can be interpreted as a symptom of ADD and they may try to drug you. This has happened twice with my 7 year old daughter. For two years I have fought with her teachers who have wanted me to get her diagnosed and drugged for ADD. I don't know if it is possible to tell them that this behavior is probably normal given her personality (which may be INTP but at this age the N or S is difficult to discern) and that it is probably very wrong to drug her out of it.

My strategy has been to teach her a meditation technique called "mindfullness" that I adapted so that a 7 year old can understand and apply it. It is working somewhat. I also give her "space out time" at home and provide her things that may aid this spacing out (I give her things that spark the imagination, like books and interesting objects and crafts). Yea, I know that sounds strange but I believe that spacing out is important for her (and for me). It is a need more then a phenomenon.

In a way spacing out is like dreaming. It is relaxing, perhaps because I can put some sort of connectiveness, or just simply ponder, the things I have seen, experienced or thought of between the times of not specing out. What I mean is that it, like dreaming, has purpose so theirfore it may be a good idea to give yourself time to do it.

 

[Ogion]

Yes, i do this (head up) or i try to look out of the window (when in public transport), but i just have to care a little less about what people may think of me than i do now. Then it will be easy because i woulnd't think "now they think i am stupid"^

No, it doesn't sound strange. And your explanation (comparison to dreams; very good comparison actually, i think) sounds good. It seems that you are a good mother (mother, right?), i always had to get me myself some time out. As a child i always awakened and got up hours before everyone else would (like 5 in the morning) to have time on my own and discover and play with things. Later it was more like 'steal' myself some time, by ignoring timetables or something. Or when i had some task i finished it either very slowly, so that i could do the spacing out while doing the task, or i would do it quickly and then don't 'repost back' that i was ready, so that someone had to llok after me to get me to the next task (this sounds like i had much work to do, but well, we had quite a few horses, and in the house was often work too, so...).

Ogion

 

[grey matters]

I find that if I have had my "space out" time I am more patient with people. By the way yes, I am a mother.

I have found a way to better deal with situations where I have to be extroverted, like in parties. If I give myself a few hours of uninterrupted "introversion time" like spacing out or messing around on the internet or reading I can "gas up" and do the things that don't come naturally for me like being social in large crowds.

 

[sagewolf]

No, it doesn't sound strange. And your explanation (comparison to dreams; very good comparison actually, i think) sounds good. It seems that you are a good mother (mother, right?), i always had to get me myself some time out. As a child i always awakened and got up hours before everyone else would (like 5 in the morning) to have time on my own and discover and play with things. Later it was more like 'steal' myself some time, by ignoring timetables or something. Or when i had some task i finished it either very slowly, so that i could do the spacing out while doing the task, or i would do it quickly and then don't 'repost back' that i was ready, so that someone had to llok after me to get me to the next task (this sounds like i had much work to do, but well, we had quite a few horses, and in the house was often work too, so...).

Ogion

I do that too, still. Either I'm up at five or I'm up until 3. It's nearly four right now, but the house is (mostly) mine. And so very, very quiet. Perfectly conductive to zoning straight out. And possibly not zoning back in.

I was labeled as having ADHD too, when I was anout seven: thank god that my mother didn't believe in drugs. ...Either that or we were too poor to afford them.

 

[Sylzarra]

I go for 6 hour long walks and just think. I don't know why but the rhythm of the walking to the music in my ipod really helps me think of good ideas. That and if I stay at home and stare off into space my mom thinks there is something wrong with me.