AI Snips
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Obsessive Research at the Dump
- Jenny Odell describes her intense research for the Bureau of Suspended Objects project, where she pulled 200 objects from the dump and deeply researched each one.
- This monomaniacal curiosity exhausted her, as she struggled to pace herself while collecting detailed information about the objects.
Rethinking Self-Help and the Self
- Self-help often assumes a bounded, separate self, which conflicts with Odell's view of the self as porous and relational.
- Adjusting one's relationship to community is a more accurate form of self-help than traditional self-improvement.
Embrace Do Nothing Practice
- Do nothing means engaging in activities that are not goal-directed, like wandering or observation.
- Enjoy experiences for their own sake, such as going for a walk without a destination or bird watching without expectations.