Deep Thinking (Part 2)

We were discussing the other night about whether or not our kids think about deeper topics; things like the meaning of life and purpose or what happens when you die or what is the most valuable thing. Not that I believe I was a super deep thinker as a teen, I wrestled a lot more of my complexes and inner-challenges like so many (if not all) kids do at that age. And, typically, when I ask about these types of things at the dinner table or in the car, I get a very standard teen-response of, "I dunno." which is likely the truth of the matter. This led me to question other people around me who aren't wrestling with acne and the angst of an age and I struggled to get many who do think much about this either. I know we can be challenged to make the time for it (I wrote about it in the post on Deep Thinking) but I realized there might be a deeper reason.

When you find yourself bored, what do you do? Most of us will pretty quickly snatch up that phone and start filling the space with activity. It could be doom scrolling on Insta or FB or LI (pick your social). It could be crushing those candies. It could be just checking the newsfeeds or Twitter or Discord. Regardless of your choice, you're likley numbing yourself to boredom and unwittingly robbing yourself of thinking. The very space we would have used previously for that thinking; sitting waiting for an appointment or plane, looking around the restaurant until the other person arrives, or sitting on the couch recovering from a good workout is now spent on our devices. Don't get me wrong, I do it too so I'm not throwing rocks here but it caused me to pause and wonder why I do it. I think because deep thinking is hard. It takes time and focus, which can be in short supply depending on when in the day it is. Or what work I did right before that. Or any number of factors. But I think it's important that I push myself so I'm going to make an intentional effort in the coming month (February) to not jump to my phone. To sit quietly and to think.