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The volition verification challenge - 60th day 7/29/19

Discussion in 'Self Improvement' started by Awedouble, May 24, 2019.

  1. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

    Edit: Changed the parameter for myself to 1 minute - there's no reason to need 2 I realize. Everyone will be different but I know myself and even when still half asleep this can be done is already being done easily.

    This is based on the Buddhist concept that is pretty much what is responsible for creating karma, and basically we are working with the mind before it turns into action. (for more info check the Wikipedia article here) I suppose we can call it the Cetana Checking Challenge too if we use the Pali word.

    To be clear you don't need to be Buddhist, it's about psychology and motivation. Other than the usual streak length I think another parameter would need to be a small window where you have the opportunity to remember to check in and be honest about your intentions, for example if you are using something as pSub. For me I think 2 minutes, any longer than that I feel my mind may have gone down a slippery slope. Other people may want a different parameter to get started, though I actually debated 3 minutes being too long. Of course this is subjective and you wouldn't have a stopwatch ready but it is a guideline.

    So the rule is, if you realize you've let it go longer than the self determined window and basically was not honest with yourself about your intention and/or didn't remember to check then you reset. The point is to develop a habit of checking your intentions. I think it would be helpful to state to yourself "my intention for doing this is _____" BEFORE you take physical action, whether that's tapping on the screen to view something or looking at that girl. Notice you can end up doing it, but it is a matter of being aware of your intention and being honest about it. I trust that once it is in mind people will be far more likely to "do the right thing" - or don't as the case may be.

    Since we are interested in rebooting it is also just as far as PMO is concerned, I don't expect people to do that with every single thought they have. But remember we have that tendency toward self deception, that window of time is the opportunity to come back, just like you would come back to the breath in formal meditation. Coming back to honesty with yourself.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2019
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  2. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

  3. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

    Made it 4 days.. Relapsed with my volition on Wednesday night, I'm posting the story in my journal and I invite anyone interested in the details to read there. Starting over, that makes today 2/7.
     
  4. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

  5. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

    Since I reset this in the morning it's been 7 days, but continuing.. Eventually I'll probably expand it to include other intentions, and might do one on giving up multitasking.
     
  6. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

    9 - not going to post everyday esp just for a count but once in a while..
     
  7. Nice idea! Will keep it in mind although I am unsure to make it a challange. Good luck to you!
     
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  8. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

    11 - I guess I might explain the multitasking thing, it's related. Basically because volition involves concentration. When we are distracted, before that point our mind was probably in a neutral state and we were relaxed. Our attention is drawn somewhere else. In a context of attention economy (look it up if you're not familiar, worth it) you are getting nickel and dimed to death and the waste of time is only a symptom of the draining of your mental resources.

    With PMO, this distraction has a stronger negative effect of messing up your endorcine system and conditioning your mind with porn narratives, which influences your sexuality. But abstaining, or even renouncing multitasking would include applying this to PMO and more. Multitasking is basically the state where volition is already kind of lost in the shuffle and concentration is pretty much gone.

    This is probably not possible to do completely with a lot of kinds of work, but I think we do have the capacity to associate a lot of little tasks into one big task. But I think if we're honest with ourselves, this just doesn't apply to entertainment which is when you don't even have the intention to focus in the first place. Basically you are being surfed by the algorithms that pushes whatever media content (or even say someone walking down the street) and are not present. When people seek to be entertained, they are just open and taking in information in whatever form. So understanding there's that intention in a general way and what the implications are, and that you're vulnerable is a very important step - not to mention the details.
     
  9. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

    18 - nothing else to report, I may just start updating the subject title..
     
  10. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

    30 days .. I suppose I could write a little about it, but aside from being clear headed, which is of course very significant I don't have a ton to write on this. On a personal note I think a combination of this clarity and more motivation, not just for abstinence but at this point I'm thinking doing more positive things along the lines of self improvement would be great. I could use that youthful energy our younger members have and certainly the enthusiasm.
     
  11. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

    Still going.. guess it's 48 today
     

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