| >>On a side note, I find that this flow state has it's addiction of it's own. For this reason, there are societies and cultures where Chess is treated more on the lines of a dangerous addiction one must stay away from. Co-incidentally I have seen similar damage in people with video game addiction. Years wasted online, or on board games. Often when people are young, they could be attending college, or starting a trade or learning new skills. Or just working and earning money. People are instead playing video games, or chess, where you are not only addicted to gaming, but you also get a illusion that you are doing productive work, where all of your mental faculties are engaged, and you are thinking and executing. Its easy to fall into this simulated productivity trap. Given levels to these games, its easy to create a flow like situation for years. >>I feel like the reason mathematicians, physicists and artists of the past produced such great results is, they found the flow state so addictive, more addictive than balancing your health or family life, and thus dedicated almost entirety of their lives on it. Trust me, most people who warn against going into academia are saying precisely this. If you are not too good at Math or Physics, its possible to get addicted to intermediate or beginner intermediate levels for all life and never really go out and make a living. The sheer amount of failed musicians, mathematicians, physicists who went to in to the field because of curiosity, but got addicted to 'flow' and could never really bail and go on to earn or have a good living is quite large, and in many ways this is a bigger let down than even gaming addiction. I know quite a few musicians and even graduate level math professors, who have totally broken families and finances because they can't explain anyone why they like doing it, and families don't get why they must remain broke. |