Study: People Would Rather Be Shocked Than Be Alone With Their Thoughts 333
sciencehabit writes "How much do we hate being alone with our own thoughts? Enough to give ourselves an electric shock. In a new study, researchers recruited hundreds of people and made them sit in an empty room and just think for about 15 minutes. About half of the volunteers hated the experience. In a separate experiment, 67% of men and 25% of women chose to push a button and shock themselves rather than just sit there quietly and think. One of the study authors suggests that the results may be due to boredom and the trouble that we have controlling our thoughts. "I think [our] mind is built to engage in the world," he says. "So when we don't give it anything to focus on, it's kind of hard to know what to do."
Re:Buddhist meditation... (Score:5, Informative)
The concept of the "mind monkey" has been around for centuries in Buddhism. i.e. the mind sort of naturally jumps around like a monkey. When I took a yoga class that included meditation, the instructor said that you need to give your mind something to do. That's why you focus on your breathing. He said to let your thoughts come and go but treat them as if you were an outside observer and return your focus to your breath.
The constant flow of information we have today absolutely must affect out psychology. Maybe our minds jump around even more? I think the goal of meditation remains the same.
Re:How fitting (Score:5, Informative)
If the majority of people are extroverted, how would it not be considered normal or typical behavior?
Per a 1998 study, 50.7% percent of Americans are introverts. http://introvertzone.com/ratio... [introvertzone.com]
Re:How fitting (Score:5, Informative)
The study said that the subjects had previous experience with the button, and had said that they'd pay to avoid getting shocked again. It's not like the researchers were too stupid to account for the novelty factor (in this case).
Re:How fitting (Score:5, Informative)
I'm Romanian, you inconsiderate clod.
How well do you speak (or write, for that matter) my language?
Anyway, thanks for correcting me, I appreciate it. What I don't appreciate is the unnecessary smug coating you simply HAD to pour in.