
Being Present - Ashuu
http://nathanbarry.com/being-present/
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jdmitch
>Instead I had things to talk about related to the books I had just been
browsing

Ironically, it still required external ideas/stimulus to come up with topics
of conversation. I was expecting the OP would say it gave them time to
reflect, or be present to himself! One could just as easily browse books/news
on a phone that would be of mutual interest for a coming conversation. There
is some sort of "curation" that goes on in the bookstore, but nothing that
couldn't be provided by software.

~~~
LordIllidan
One a phone you would be distracted by email, social media, etc. In a
bookstore, you can completely absorb yourself in a book.

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Peroni
The exceptionally cheesy but absolutely brilliant book FISH! Philosophy really
nails the concept of being present.

 _Be There: When people need you, they need all of you. Setting aside
distractions and judgments to be mentally and emotionally present is a sign of
respect. It improves communication and strengthens relationships._

In all honesty, it's one of the few snippets of solid advice that has had a
profound and noticeable impact on my personal and professional life.

~~~
goblin89
The hard part is when someone doesn't really need all of you and themselves is
peering at their phone, tablet or whatever. I guess I'm better off avoiding
those people.

~~~
Peroni
I find that the behaviour naturally reciprocates. When you're giving someone
your undivided attention, they tend to find it difficult to be distracted
without being acutely aware that they are being rude.

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Ashuu
Many people indulge in activities like like reading emails, tweeting,
messaging etc. when they are with their friends and family having dinner or
just hanging out. There are some people who do this even while watching movies
with friends! Sometime it give a negative impression that they want to be left
alone undisturbed. This is really a problem with current generation people.
Please be present when you are with friends and family!

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svantana
Oddly, I'm the other way around. I enjoy reading work emails while drinking
beer with friends. It allows me a certain emotional distance to whatever
problem has arisen and I can turn to my friends for help, and/or put the
problems in the back of my head, sleep on them and deal with them in the
morning.

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pavel_lishin
> Do I have really such a short attention span that I must find a way to
> entertain myself for even two minutes?

I dislike this line of reasoning. He's not playing Words With Birds, he's
checking e-mail and twitter to see if anyone is trying to contact him.

Is there some philosophical viewpoint that states that it is better to stare
at a blank wall than to read your mail?

~~~
pdog
Yeah. I'm reminded of Schopenhauer's _On Thinking for Oneself._

Reading an email or Twitter forces others' thoughts upon the mind, but when a
man stares at a blank wall and thinks for himself, he follows the impulse of
his own mind. A blank wall does not, as reading a tweet does, impress a single
definite thought upon the mind.

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npsimons
_I can’t do anything about them. If a client needs help I have to wait until I
am back at a computer_

Sounds like a problem with your phone.

