Trying To Quit Watching Tv?

[Lory]

Hi everybody,

I just been aware today of the big news about the actualized.org or Leo's forum.  What a beautiful news! Thank you Leo!

Before going farther in this comment, I have to point out that my first language is french, so I apologize for all the mistakes that I am making. 

I would like to start a conversation about your experiences of quiting tv.  I don't know if you watched the Leo's video about this subject, it really open my eyes about this habit.  I plan to quit tv and I would like to share my experience with you guys. Is there some people who would like to start this journey with me?

 

 

[Midlife Crisis]

Well, I wouldn't go as far as quitting tv entirely. I mean there are some good programs out there. Just don't get addicted to tv. If you have a ton of other tasks to complete, then maybe you should cut some tv time out. But everyone is different. There are some shows that I really like. Then there are people who try to emulate characters on TV in their life. That's kind of ridiculous.  But, just remember you are on your own LP journey and if tv is a distraction from your LP then cut it out. 

[Lory]

Hi Midlife Crisis,  thanks for that comment!

Actually, I would like to cut tv pretty much because i just realize all the things more helpful that i could do instead. I understand from your comment that you probably already manage the time you spend watching tv versus the time you spend doing things that really matters to you. I mean at the en d of my life what would have been more meaningful for me: calling my grand-mother during the night or  watching an other tv program. I feel like that we as a society, or I should say I, watching TV without thinking or having making it a choice. We/i watch tv because we/i always did. But what if we/i really think about it and the implications of that non-choice. Would we be watching TV as much as we are doing today, would we make that choice of spending all our priceless time on TV? 

I have the hypothesis, that cutting tv can lead to news experiences and help integrate more easily some self-development practics because it give place to it.

[Argue]

I stopped watching TV 2 years ago. You have to make a good habit of doing something productive. I replaced TV with YouTube (self-development videos). 

TV is brainwashing. Commercials, soap operas block your potential and vision to live a fulfilled life. I don't watch the news either, it's often negative with sob stories etc. 

[Rito]

I understand why you would want to quit tv.I was in your position  long back and what worked for me was that I started a introspection session about the damages that tv did to me.I reflected on the fact that how tv distratced me from studying ,made me more anti social,I made a list of all those things.Then I made of list of productive things I could have done instead.I actually wrote that list.After doing that I came to realize that other people are suffering from the same problem and this tv addiction is an epidemic.

See,TV shows are created so as to hook you up and make you obsessed with it.The actors,producers directors toil day and night to prepare ingenious shows like GOT,BB etc to appeal to your low consciousness.You just need will power to elevate yourself from that level.

Cut off your cable,if possible or move the tv out from your room,these are the practical things you can do.

Remember,you have already watched your last show,and there is no tv in the new life that begins after you read this

 

[Psychonaut]

10 years ago my parents decided to get rid of the TV. My dad used to come back home from work reaaaaly exhausted. He works hard. Often he would just plant himself in front of the TV and sometimes even fall asleep in front of the TV. Eventually he just removed the TV and we had no TV anymore. I was still a child at the time and was ok with it. He said he wanted to spend more time with us and talk to his wife instead of becoming a vegetable in front of the TV. Best decision ever. Just get rid of the stupid thing.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Psychonaut

[Greys0n]

I stopped watching tv about 2 years from now. I just throw it away

[Arman]

The craziest part about quitting TV is when you happen to stumble across tv programming again in the future and you notice how much of it is advertisement. It just seems insane how much of TV is just mind-numbing ads and that people sit through it on auto-pilot. Even if the show or movie is high quality art, it's constantly broken up with crap! When you stop getting used to it, it's almost like some gross dystopian shit. 

Edited February 15, 2016 by Arman

[SMI]

I got rid of fucking TV. It's absolute bullshit. I regret all those years of my life that I have wasted watching FUCKING WWE, Fake Wrestlers, fake news. Even reality shows are not real. I would love to get my 10 years back but they are gone. Gone with the wind.

[DanoDMano]

@Lory Personally I haven't watched television for about five years now. It happened by accident really, when it stopped working and I refused to spend money on another one. I've lived most of my life as a minimalist, and have never bought into idea of indebtedness and having to work to live. In fact I can live comfortably on $1,000 per month. Most of my time is spent doing the things I want to do, instead of the things I have to do to survive.

Sorry I got off track there. What have I discovered without television? I'm now completely unaware of the negative stuff going on in the world. Except for people having to inform me of it, or when it's posted on FB, MSN, YouTube etc.. Which I can easily scroll past without a second glance. I refuse to let it be a part of my reality. If I had a television I suppose I could just turn the channels to the things I'm interested in, but to me 80% of the stuff is crap. I think of the reality tv genre for instance. Who's reality are they talking about? It's certainly not mine. It's all fake and produced to numb the mind in a form they call entertainment. No thanks, I can do that myself in the form of music, art, writing, reading, informative videos and forums like this one.

I think to myself all the time. What if we were all completely oblivious to the plight of this world (without television, radio, web etc.) and lived simply within our own communities? When something went wrong within that community, it could be easily fixed by the community by simply getting together and coming up with a solution to the problem. Today we feel our community is a planetary one and not a local one. In our minds it's just to expansive to fix anything now. All of our realities include the whole world, when in my opinion our reality should include nothing more than our family, our friends and our neighbors. This way we wouldn't feel so hopeless. We wouldn't have to change the world, only ourselves.            

[Siman]

Hi Lory, 

I quit watching t.v. by removing my cable box. If i wanted to watch t.v. i had to reconnect it, which gave me a moment to think if i really wanted to watch. Now i almost watch no t.v. except shows i really really don't want to miss (like south park).

Be aware of not simply switching to Netflix or lot's of youtube, although it might be better than t.v. it is just as time-sucking.

[Rufus]

I stopped watching TV long long time ago since probably 2002-2003, simply because I didn't have a TV!
but I replaced it with other habits, I spent so much time playing video games, watch DVD's and online videos.
Now this is not necessarily better, but at least I broke my attachment to TV, and now when I set on a computer I pick exactly what I want to do instead of being a slave who is forced to watch whatever crap they air on TV.
Most of the NEWS you don't need it, it's just a compulsive addiction, when we keep watching the news we only torture ourselves over and over, and we are gonna feel useless because you have no control over what is happening in the world, NEWS are stressful because most of them tends to make you think that the entire world is set on fire, is this the reality? I'm not saying to not become compassionate about bad news, but be aware that bad news are happening not just in the countries mentioned in the NEWS, terrible things are happening everywhere, and guess what, Good news too! but how often do they talk about good news in TV?
See how ugly the business is? these dirty capitalists are aware that humans are compulsively addicted to bad news.. bad news makes people panic, but nobody is interested in hearing Good news. scared people makes good slaves.

Thankfully the internet raised my awareness in many levels because I'm a little conciouss in the way I'm browsing it, I'm aware of political propagandas and brainwash, and I'm aware how people are blindly attached to ridiculous TV shows that doesn't have any value in their lives.
Now in time I still watch some movies and TV shows, and video games, but my view is much different, I have less egoic attachment to these things, I watch things because I want to enjoy its art and music in a mindful manner, not because some character is cool or someone is sexy and etc.
 

[Epiphany_Inspired]

When I thought of the vastness of non-fiction things I could watch, and how much more enjoyable it is to watch something when I am learning from it(opposed to something that simply numbs my mind), the choice was easy.  Plus, there are so many amazing things to read, and actual experiences to have in person, the desire simply faded away.

That said, I seem to have a weakness. This new Star Wars movie has been really difficult to avoid, simply because the connection to the story goes back to childhood (I still have my Darth Vader piggy bank etc)! Anyone else been tempted by this enticing, alluring, film? To avoid being sucked in at the big screen like most of my friends (even the friends that don't watch TV are going!), I decided this fiction movie would be an exception, but later/ on video, and only as an inspirational drawing aid (must be drawing while watching, kind of like how cake is ok at a birthday party, lol). I'll try my best not to get vortex-ed into the magical storyline, and if I accidentally do, maybe it will be another hero's journey that I can get some insight from.

 

[A way to Actualize]

I would like to quote something

'throw away your television' ~ Red Hot Chili Peppers

 

[Frode]

Hey, Lory! 

To make it short; I noticed that my watching TV didn't bring me any real happiness, so why not try quitting? 

I went a bit on and off with the TV watching for a few months, until I really could confirm that it made my mood worse, and not any better.

Now, after loaning my friend the TV that I had before, I haven't been watching any television, and I've never been happier or more decluttered than now.

I replaced TV watching with reading Personal Development books and biographies, and after about 15-20 days of "forcing" myself a bit to read, I fell in love with it. Now I know that I will most likely never watch the television if I have the chance to read instead

In the end, I don't know if you really feel like stopping to watch TV completely, so if I should give a tip that I believe worked for me, it's this; try to go 1 week without TV, but make sure you replace the time with something else. Be mindful about if your inner voice is just the "I have to watch TV, because I've always done it, and there's something missing in my life without it", and try to understand that if you follow that voice, it will least likely bring you any happiness, if you are commited to stop watching. Then you could go 1 week with watching TV like before, and notice if you feel any more true happiness when doing it. Like me, if you do this 1 week on and off a few times, I truly believe that you will start noticing the benefits of quitting, if you stay mindful about your feelings  

Best of luck to you!

[Outshined]

 

Congratulations Lory..

Youve just taken a step to claiming another part of your life back.. and the more you wake up and want to be the best version of yourself, the more things youll want to reduce or even remove from your life completely that arnt serving you!

Youtube, FB, twitter, video games to name a few.. basically im talking about our dependance on technology for our happiness.. but if you ask me, it seems more like happiness via distraction and escapism then anything else. and at what cost??  the price of the most precious commodity we have as human beings... "time".. TIME PEOPLE..

And who knows in the proccess of detaching from technology and spending a little time with our loved ones and ourselves, we may even discover what we're here to do, and write yet another amazing chapter in the lives about the legends that we are...

[spicy_pickles]

I found over the years that tv has been replaced with conversation or reading in my life. That and I simply cannot stand sitcoms, reality TV and most other shows. However, I do enjoy watching things once in awhile. Usually just the weather channel or a sporting event I'm interested in. There's some excellent documentaries every now and then as well. It's just mostly filled with mindless crap these days.

Once I realized how much I really disliked what was on tv and how much I could enjoy a good book, I rarely felt the need to turn on the tv  

 

[Annie]

Don't think about it, just do it! I quit about 8 years ago and I couldn't be happier!

[Jay Brown]

@Murtaza TV itself isnt real bruv, how can you expect ANYTHING it shows as legit. dont hate WWE it was good in them 10 years, now well no comments, 

 

I dont watch tv at all since the last 2 maybe 3 years 

Edited March 14, 2016 by Jay Brown

[Isle of View]

On 13.2.2016 at 3:34 AM, Lory said:

I would like to start a conversation about your experiences of quiting tv.  I don't know if you watched the Leo's video about this subject, it really open my eyes about this habit.  I plan to quit tv and I would like to share my experience with you guys. Is there some people who would like to start this journey with me?

I don't watch TV for 9 yrs.

The best way to stop: give away (or sell) your TV set. When it's not there, you won't turn it on.

That's my experience. Radical. But working 

~Chris