Einstein’s most effective life hack wasn’t about productivity

qz.com

84 points·NinjaX··6 comments

> Simply block out a few minutes each day to be alone and do nothing at all. By doing so, you’ll tap into your inner genius and uncover the most effective ways to take action.

Sounds like a productivity hack to me.

The author is describing mindfulness[1] in that quote. The author also produces no evidence Einstein ever practised or espoused it, besides Einstein saying cruises are conducive to uninterrupted thought and work. The violin example sounds apocryphal, and even if true, it is also not an example of "doing nothing".

Clickbait.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness

I think the concept can be applied in context at a broader level. In Einstein’s time, there was no Internet full of distractions, apps, notifications, email, etc, and TV and radio was there but not nearly as compelling as it is today. So one could argue that the activity of sitting around thinking about nothing for a while (aka being bored) was baked into the normal daily experience. It’s only in modern times do we need to invent the “activity” of mindfulness to regain that pattern.

See also Rich Hickey's, 'Hammock Driven Development' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f84n5oFoZBc

I have a young daughter and the last year of walking around with her in the dark while I try to put her to sleep has lead to me thinking of and understanding things that always seemed a lot more complicated than they are.

If she’s crying I don’t get any thinking done but those 30 or so minutes after she’s fallen asleep and I’m still walking have become very productive in their own way.

I don’t think that people who look at Einstein as a loner in present times. Even today it’s well known that people like Bill Gates and John Carmack will take time away from it allot think and learn new things.

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