For the next three months, I will embark on my own experiment of living in a high-standards high-group-activity environment. Specifically, a Buddhist temple.
The temple has an even tighter schedule. All residents wake up together at 5 am and go to sleep together at 10 pm. The rest is meditation, study and work, with 4 hours of free time. The weekends are free, so it adds up to being told what to do for 85 hours per week.
Over the years, I have stayed there six times for a week. The first days are usually a fight to adjust to the lower standards of living (the unpleasant valley). As the days go by, I become increasingly energized and sharp. When I leave, I’m in the best state I can be. Not even a CFAR workshop measures up to how much I upgrade in such a short time.
And it’s not the meditation. I’ve gone for days without really meditating and I would still upgrade.
This has led me to believe that something about our individualist style of living is profoundly wrong, at least for some people. Seems like a solution to many of our problems lies in collectivism. Think mental health, akrasia, huffelpuff virtue, etc.
I am really interested in how this is going to fly. Please do post updates. I would also love to share my perspective. I think I’ll have some interesting data.
If you’re willing, sharing your perspective in more detail here is welcome (so that all the models are in one place). Else, you’re welcome to PM or email me.
For the next three months, I will embark on my own experiment of living in a high-standards high-group-activity environment. Specifically, a Buddhist temple.
The temple has an even tighter schedule. All residents wake up together at 5 am and go to sleep together at 10 pm. The rest is meditation, study and work, with 4 hours of free time. The weekends are free, so it adds up to being told what to do for 85 hours per week.
Over the years, I have stayed there six times for a week. The first days are usually a fight to adjust to the lower standards of living (the unpleasant valley). As the days go by, I become increasingly energized and sharp. When I leave, I’m in the best state I can be. Not even a CFAR workshop measures up to how much I upgrade in such a short time. And it’s not the meditation. I’ve gone for days without really meditating and I would still upgrade.
This has led me to believe that something about our individualist style of living is profoundly wrong, at least for some people. Seems like a solution to many of our problems lies in collectivism. Think mental health, akrasia, huffelpuff virtue, etc.
I am really interested in how this is going to fly. Please do post updates. I would also love to share my perspective. I think I’ll have some interesting data.
If you’re willing, sharing your perspective in more detail here is welcome (so that all the models are in one place). Else, you’re welcome to PM or email me.