Comments on: Publilius Syrus, “To do two things at once is to do neither” http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus Explore Meditation Online Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:56:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bodhipaksa http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus/comment-page-1#comment-62927 Bodhipaksa Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:36:05 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4112#comment-62927 Some people describe our problem as being a lack of filtering and organization rather than information overload. The approach you describe helps stop the constant interruption that comes from poor filtering. Good work! Some people describe our problem as being a lack of filtering and organization rather than information overload. The approach you describe helps stop the constant interruption that comes from poor filtering. Good work!

]]> By: Neil http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus/comment-page-1#comment-62923 Neil Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:17:12 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4112#comment-62923 Great ideas in your article that hit home. I am grappling with a cluttered mind that impedes (and sometimes even seems to preclude) my efforts at a meditation practice. I don't recall having such a cluttered mind, say, 10 years ago and have often wondered whether multitasking feeds mind clutter. In any case, one of the best steps I have taken at work is to check, prioritize and respond to email three times a day (start, before lunch, and end of day) but otherwise it is OFF... and I have buried the icon in the main start menu so it is not there tempting me on the desktop ;-) Great ideas in your article that hit home. I am grappling with a cluttered mind that impedes (and sometimes even seems to preclude) my efforts at a meditation practice. I don’t recall having such a cluttered mind, say, 10 years ago and have often wondered whether multitasking feeds mind clutter. In any case, one of the best steps I have taken at work is to check, prioritize and respond to email three times a day (start, before lunch, and end of day) but otherwise it is OFF… and I have buried the icon in the main start menu so it is not there tempting me on the desktop ;-)

]]> By: Bodhipaksa http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus/comment-page-1#comment-62921 Bodhipaksa Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:10:27 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4112#comment-62921 Stephen: I really like the idea of a tag cloud to get an overall view of things, and I hope that Omnifocus incorporates that. Similarly, OmniFocus for the iPhone is rather steep at $19.95, but I really think it's worth it to be able to add or edit tasks whenever it occurs to me. This is one example of technology helping to solve some of the technological problems that technology causes. Katherine: It's very interesting reading Anthony Trollope, and realizing that rural Victorians considered 9:00 to be breakfast-time and that anytime before 10:00 for a visit or meeting was outrageously impolite. I don't get the impression that they stayed up late either! Stephen: I really like the idea of a tag cloud to get an overall view of things, and I hope that Omnifocus incorporates that. Similarly, OmniFocus for the iPhone is rather steep at $19.95, but I really think it’s worth it to be able to add or edit tasks whenever it occurs to me. This is one example of technology helping to solve some of the technological problems that technology causes.

Katherine: It’s very interesting reading Anthony Trollope, and realizing that rural Victorians considered 9:00 to be breakfast-time and that anytime before 10:00 for a visit or meeting was outrageously impolite. I don’t get the impression that they stayed up late either!

]]> By: Stephen http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus/comment-page-1#comment-62920 Stephen Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:25:19 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4112#comment-62920 Hi, really interesting article, many thanks. Talking of organsing tools i have recently discovered www.rememberthemilk.com which is a really excellent task management website and allows you to tag activities and have a tag cloud for monitoring things which grows by priority or due date. It also has a very well designed sync application for the ipod touch and iphone, though while the web application is free to use, the $25 charge to be able to use the mobile application is a bit steep, none the less i bought it as i have found it a fantastic, virtually life changing organising tool! Hi, really interesting article, many thanks. Talking of organsing tools i have recently discovered http://www.rememberthemilk.com which is a really excellent task management website and allows you to tag activities and have a tag cloud for monitoring things which grows by priority or due date. It also has a very well designed sync application for the ipod touch and iphone, though while the web application is free to use, the $25 charge to be able to use the mobile application is a bit steep, none the less i bought it as i have found it a fantastic, virtually life changing organising tool!

]]> By: Katherine Masis http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus/comment-page-1#comment-62871 Katherine Masis Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:07:24 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4112#comment-62871 I do wish this trend toward multitasking and multiple distractions would go away. As a sincere pessimist, I see no signs of that, unfortunately. To make matters worse, we now sleep 1 hour per night less than our great grandparents did. The end result: craziness, violence, stress, preventable illnesses, and a world that moves faster and faster, going nowhere (and I don't mean "nowhere" in a Buddhist sense). Sigh.... I do wish this trend toward multitasking and multiple distractions would go away. As a sincere pessimist, I see no signs of that, unfortunately. To make matters worse, we now sleep 1 hour per night less than our great grandparents did. The end result: craziness, violence, stress, preventable illnesses, and a world that moves faster and faster, going nowhere (and I don’t mean “nowhere” in a Buddhist sense). Sigh….

]]> By: Bodhipaksa http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus/comment-page-1#comment-62868 Bodhipaksa Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:30:57 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4112#comment-62868 New Hampshire prides itself on being the "Live Free or Die" state, but since seatbelts and crash-helmets are optional, and talking on the phone, texting, etc while driving are legal, I think of it as the "Live Free or Die (or Both) State." The positive side of that is that there is a genuine reluctance on the part of our part-time and volunteer government (imagine!) to restrict individual liberties. I've found that drivers in NH are generally very responsible and safe, but I dread driving in our neighboring state, Massachusetts, and even more so further south in Connecticut, where the driving is just plain crazy, with people weaving in and out of lanes randomly, passing on the wrong side, and even passing in the breakdown lane. So much of a hurry, so little regard for the possible consequences. New Hampshire prides itself on being the “Live Free or Die” state, but since seatbelts and crash-helmets are optional, and talking on the phone, texting, etc while driving are legal, I think of it as the “Live Free or Die (or Both) State.” The positive side of that is that there is a genuine reluctance on the part of our part-time and volunteer government (imagine!) to restrict individual liberties. I’ve found that drivers in NH are generally very responsible and safe, but I dread driving in our neighboring state, Massachusetts, and even more so further south in Connecticut, where the driving is just plain crazy, with people weaving in and out of lanes randomly, passing on the wrong side, and even passing in the breakdown lane. So much of a hurry, so little regard for the possible consequences.

]]> By: Michael Short http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus/comment-page-1#comment-62856 Michael Short Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:36:14 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4112#comment-62856 Who makes up the laws? - That is terrible. As a follow on to the story, there has been massive outcry over here about the sentence of the driver. I think it was something like three years and the family feel robbed with the sentence. The lorry drivers over here are crazy and my wife really avoids the M62 (motorway on which said accident happened). Too many people in such a rush with no time and too much anger. I'm lucky, I don't drive. Love the newsletter. Who makes up the laws? – That is terrible. As a follow on to the story, there has been massive outcry over here about the sentence of the driver. I think it was something like three years and the family feel robbed with the sentence. The lorry drivers over here are crazy and my wife really avoids the M62 (motorway on which said accident happened). Too many people in such a rush with no time and too much anger. I’m lucky, I don’t drive. Love the newsletter.

]]> By: Bodhipaksa http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus/comment-page-1#comment-62843 Bodhipaksa Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:43:21 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4112#comment-62843 Yes, that was the same incident, although I only read the initial story and didn't keep up with it as it unfolded. Believe it or not, in the state where I live (New Hampshire) it's apparently legal to use a laptop or cellphone while driving, unless they changed the law recently. Yes, that was the same incident, although I only read the initial story and didn’t keep up with it as it unfolded. Believe it or not, in the state where I live (New Hampshire) it’s apparently legal to use a laptop or cellphone while driving, unless they changed the law recently.

]]> By: Michael Short http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus/comment-page-1#comment-62810 Michael Short Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:30:41 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4112#comment-62810 I like this article and agree with a lot of what you have to say. I'm expected to do it in my job (I'm a telephone triage nurse)- talk to people whilst writing up their medical history and notes about their condition. As it happens the saying goes that men aren't very good at this and I'm no exception to the rule here. Are you referring to the six that died on the motorway in England, the whole family that got killed ? I understand the lorry driver was distracted for a full minute - terrible and very sad. I just hope air traffic controllers aren't encouraged to multitask! I like this article and agree with a lot of what you have to say. I’m expected to do it in my job (I’m a telephone triage nurse)- talk to people whilst writing up their medical history and notes about their condition. As it happens the saying goes that men aren’t very good at this and I’m no exception to the rule here. Are you referring to the six that died on the motorway in England, the whole family that got killed ? I understand the lorry driver was distracted for a full minute – terrible and very sad. I just hope air traffic controllers aren’t encouraged to multitask!

]]> By: justin whitaker http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/quote-of-the-month/publilius-syrus/comment-page-1#comment-62713 justin whitaker Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:30:40 +0000 http://www.wildmind.org/?p=4112#comment-62713 Excellent article, Bodhipaksa! I still remember your lessons in multitasking from your UM meditation days (I wish I could say I was a little better at things now, 8 years later). Excellent article, Bodhipaksa! I still remember your lessons in multitasking from your UM meditation days (I wish I could say I was a little better at things now, 8 years later).

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