We all love the fact that our smartphones let us take the news and entertainment that we love with us just about anywhere. In that private little anywhere, cocooned from the world with the protective nesting of headphones, we bring our minds out of reality and into a focus on whatever interests us in that moment. Whether that content is music, podcasts, news, YouTube videos, or otherwise, it’s often hard to imagine navigating through the boring moments of life without music to help you focus, news to keep you informed, and shows to keep you entertained.
So, in the middle of a busy New York City week, when my headphones broke, and I realized I didn’t have a backup pair, I was devastated. Chopin to block out the bustle and bluster of a New York coffee shop so I can focus on writing a progress report? No more.
So, naturally, I searched my schedule and maps to find the nearest store where I could buy a cheap pair of headphones to tide me over – but, oddly enough, I didn’t go. You might assume that I was too busy, or that I couldn’t find a store.
In fact, that next Saturday, I walked out of Best Buy, without buying anything – and you’ve correctly divined that they weren’t out of headphones, either. What strange demon possessed me, you might ask? I asked myself the same question while I was walking out, and this brief post is the result of that reflection.
The week that my headphones broke, I accomplished more productive studying for the Series 7 in the remainder of a week than I had in about a month. This week, I started and finished a book (What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School by Mark H. McCormack). I’d carried it in my bag without opening it, because I had been waiting for an opportunity to read. The week after, I’d finished another book. Clearly, this isn’t an accident.
There seems to be an ancient wisdom in periods of deprivation. Whether this comes in the routine form of the Jewish Shabbat, Catholic Lent, or fasting diets, or the more idiosyncratic breaks from technology that come from those advocating “unplugging” to remove the often stressful influence of social media techs.
It’s not that I don’t find Commentary valuable, and indeed, when I finally arrived home, I relished in being able to catch up on the events of the day with Right Angle, BW Now, and even that dreaded Ragnar Klavan Show (if there was lots of time to kill). Not being able to listen to these shows I enjoy at any moment I wanted was annoying initially, but soon it revealed an appreciation for the little moments of the world, even in a great big progressive city like NYC.
What am I suggesting from all of this? Break your headphones.
Or, I suppose, try leaving them at home for a day or two.
You’ll be surprised how much more productive your free time might become with a dumb book than a smart phone.
2 replies on “Break Your Headphones”
I’d break my headphones, but I need them for TSL tonight.
This is sort of like what I did for Lent–deliberately not turning my computer on before leaving for work in the mornings. Not sustainable in the long-term without dropping most of my online hobbies, but it was good to clear a little mental space and get around to some projects I’d been meaning to do.