Addicted To Knowing: Search Everything On Internet

[Moreira]

I'm eating in the kitchen and have a brillant idea, theory or doubt, and I've to immediately go to the Pc room to google it because the curiosity is killing-me.

If I dont search it I get anxious,  and when i find it I'm satisfied.

I recognise that what makes me addicted is to find people who think like me (reafirmation) but also genuine curiosity for knowledge.

it's getting worse, today I was at the suppermarket and saw the employees name on their shirt and had the urge to search them on facebook, I was curious about their life.

It's nothing bad, because when humanity didnt have internet they asked every doubt to the elders of the tribe, shamans, or scholars.

The problem is that I feel bad if I dont do it immediately, I cannot stand uncertainty.

How can I do to dont give a fuk, or stop obsessing with my doubts?

Meditation of course, but other technique to stop the compulsion?

Edited September 9, 2017 by Moreira

[thehero]

sounds like mild  OCD, but maybe more than mild . Luckily, solved with emotional mastery! You have to watch the fear and accept the fear as much as you can bear. The compulsion is an escape mechanism so you have to train your mind to not run away from the anxiety and to embrace it. Watch Leo's video "how to deal with strong negative emotions". Meditation will train your mind to increase self awareness and you'll notice more when you're running away from the emotion. 

 

Start slow. Put a timer and see how long you can bear the anxiety. Then push your comfort zone and increase the amount of time you can bear it each time. The anxiety will eventually subside if you continously allow the emotion, making the compulsion weaker the next time

I recommend taking mark freeman's OCD course, it helped me tremendously for my OCD. He teaches you about OCD and how to effectively deal with it in a friendly and fun manner. I bought the course, and I can give you the password if you'd like, just message me

Edited September 9, 2017 by thehero

[Principium Nexus]

Sometimes I'm so addicted to learn things especially theory that I forget to apply it. Endless specialisation, in theory you have deducted every fact, cross checked if its true regarding the larger context, but because the whole context is never rich enough you keep expanding and expanding... For me it's a joyful process because I'm very eager to learn but if it is affecting you in a bad way, like priorities are not right or you start to suffer because you need to know everything beforehand of going to something or doing stuff, then find a proper balance.

I'm slowly finding more interest in listening to my environment and my body now. After years of intense study of chemistry, physics, math, astronomy, pharmacology, psychoeconomics, all new theory feels like another story or 'theory'. It also makes things looks to predictable and if you don't like the idea of having no freewill then studying these things will not help you gain control.

I would recommend anyone to start listening better to their feelings, their body and trying to feel those of others. Meditating more, some minor intellect to serve survival and practibility.

Master your feelings (emotional/physical) and you will always know what to do.

[Arkandeus]

knowledge has to be taken less seriously. you already know every single thing there is to know about the universe.
on a deeper level you know everything, so what's the point of knowing and discovering new things?

simply for fun. don't take it so seriously, unless you find it fun to take it so seriously, your consciousness is yours to play with

[Leo Gura]

@Moreira Conceptualization is a very serious addiction. We just don't usually think of it as such because the whole Western world is addicted to it, so it seems normal.

The best solutions I've found are:

• Solo retreats
• Meditation retreats
• Psychedelics

As far as the "can't stand not-knowing", that's a major obstacle on this path. You gotta realize that "knowing more" isn't the solution, it's part of the problem. See my video: How To Deal With Confusion, where I address this a bit. At some point you have to surrender to not-knowing.

Rather than just relying on a technique, try to consciously realize that what you're currently doing is not going to work.

[Joseph Maynor]

You gotta get to the point where the mind works in your service, not the mind using you for its service.  So, conceptualization isn't the problem, it's how conceptualization or duality is clung to, attached to, or interpreted that's the problem.  Guns don't kill people, we do.  Knowledge is needed, and so is knowledge of knowledge.  This is where Philosophy can become helpful in navigating these balancing acts.  You do the mind, don't let the mind do you.  You do duality, don't let duality do you.  You do conceptualization, don't let conceptualization do you.  You do you, don't let you do you.  Don't get trapped in the Mind-Matrix.  The Ego is very tricky.  God has no distinctions or limitations.  You do the Mind-Matrix, don't let the Mind-Matrix do you.  Use the Mind-Matrix as a CAD program to design your life.  This is possible.  Make awesome lemonade out of the lemons.  This is the best strategy.  The Mind-Matrix is an awesome simulator for designing and programming-in your entire future.  Conceptualization can be good.  Watch your presumptive valuations.  Duality is neither good nor bad inherently.  You use duality, don't let duality use you.

Video on point to watch:

 

Edited September 9, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Principium Nexus]

I have these 2 assumptions,

• I am the universe, my ego creates separation through concepts that I am a human (which a certain perspective is valid), but we are much more and part of the larger whole, we are nature itself.
• Nature always finds the most efficient way to let energy flow. Electricity through the highest conducting medium, water through rivers and valleys, trees optimize the way they grow to harvest the most sunlight. Psychology to me works in a similar way, given the context of where one lives in the psyche searches for the most efficient or easiest mental energy flow.

Where I want to go with this is to explain that we already know what to do without letting our mind over-conceptualize. Animals do this, why can't we do the same? Children who are often so joyful and amazed in awe are born without concepts and think mostly in feelings when they are young. The older we get, the more rigid our thinking and worldview becomes. Black and white thinking, putting everything in a box and label it.. What do we gain from this? Aren't these the main causes of wars, conflicting ideologies, hate, depression and anxiety?

If we were to abolish all this over-thinking, wouldn't we become more happy if we can embrace we don't need all this material stuff and live in a closer relation to nature itself, our real mother as to speak. Nevertheless, my own conclusion is that we or I want to seek a closer relation to my feelings, those of others, to come closer to my true nature and self, which is after all our very core and strength that thrives in all our actions.

 

[Extreme Z7]

10 hours ago, Moreira said:

it's getting worse, today I was at the suppermarket and saw the employees name on their shirt and had the urge to search them on facebook, I was curious about their life.

LOLZ

How interesting the life must be of a regular supermarket employee who is actually a speck living on a speck surrounded by trillions and trillions of specks separated by many billions of miles of space.

Maybe you just lack the perspective to see that most knowledge is quite inane especially through a cosmic lens. Maybe try focusing your awareness  to the fact that mental information is very irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. We mostly gather information for pragmatic purposes. Or at least I do that, I guess. Can't ignore the fact that far too many people love unpractical philosophies and mental masturbation.

In summary, hope you build a healthier, more practical relationship with gathering information some time in the future. For now, here's a random wikipedia article on Chess Grandmaster, Tigran Petrosian (Read It! you know you want to. . . )

[Epiphany_Inspired]

@Moreira  I think that Leo gave you a super rad response...mine is quite different...

curiosity for knowledge is what shapes a philosopher...and this practice seems vital to personal development....the wonder of a child is something we've lost as adults, and strive to regain on a path to enlightenment....so....i think that for you....possibly finding balance is key....to retain the vibrancy of your curiosity...but maybe somehow: without allowing it to become too much of a distraction or addiction....i don't know....

[Steph1988]

Hahaha this is so relatable to me.

Having too many interests, i once saw a documantary about fighting dogs on TV and the next week i spend about a dozen hours learning everything about guard and war dogs and how to train them,what breeds were the best, etc 

2 weeks further i remembered about 20% of it and then the interest faded, 

And then ofcourse another subject catches my interest.

Leo's reply is good i think u just shake yourself awake that works for me although i still now and then waste time on yet another subject .

[WaterfallMachine]

Haha. I used to have the same bad habit too and I still do at times. Knowledge made me feel safe — I thought the answer to all life's problems was just knowing enough to solve it. 

I remember being high strung in the middle of a car ride. My legs shaking from the nervous energy. My breath quick and my eyes flitting around wondering what to do. I kept thinking and thinking. But then there was the sunset. The glorious red and orange colors taking a rest for the day. Rather than huched back, I leaned on the leather seat in relief. I watched in quietness as night came, the buildings and the people went by. It was a stillness. A calm. A tranquility. 

I thought I could only be happy and safe if I was thinking. But it seemed — there were insights you could find only by being there without thinking a thing in the world. 

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You have to figure out the specific reasons why you're so scared. Ask why? Then after asking why, ask why are you doing it really? Keep going — even for repeated practice on days — until you find that there's nothing more to find. Awareness diffuses the fear. After all — It might not just be the environment around you that needs clarity. It could be to clear up the confusion of what's going on inside you too. People doing this exercise find that that they realize a lot of unexpected motivations inside themselves.

Another thing is finding ways to relax that don't require much information gathering or much thinking. Something physical — like exercise. Maybe something mentally light like listening to instrumental music. The more you become comfortable with not knowing, the easier this becomes.

Many people who find comfort with thinking too much are people who don't take enough action. When they learn too much by getting inside their heads, they don't learn enough by real world experience. They fear the real world but the only way to be really certain of things is to try it yourself and see what happens.

That's how you gain the confidence to live without constantly thinking. 

Edited September 13, 2017 by WaterfallMachine

[The Monk]

@Moreira first of all be mindful of these thoughts really ask yourself who wants to? Then where is this thing? If you can't find it great! Then ask yourself then does this desire to gain information really exist? 

However, if that doesn't work just stop being an emotional weasel and giving into the easy option, do what's emotionally difficult in every situation, that's the one simple trick to ace life. So apply it religiously, then you will be amazed at how your life transforms in 5/10 years time.

[kwax]