[打卡]阅读打卡第55天 (Feb 07, 2022) - Flow

Progress: 73

• it is the sense of exercising control in difficult situations & the possibility that perfection is attainable that give us the enjoyment in flow
  
• Flow state can be addictive (potential negative aspect of being in flow): e.g. people can become addicted --> the self becomes captivated in the internal order & unwilling to cope with the ambiguity of life (e.g. people in the flow state of gaming)
• the loss of self-consciousness = the loss of the sense of self = temporarily forget who we are& merge with the external environment / objects / team --> push forward the boundaries of our being --> self-transcendence
  
• In the flow state, the person is challenged to do the best & must constantly improve her skills --> no opportunity to reflect on what this means in terms of the self
• after the flow state, our self-consciousness has a chance to resume, our reflected self is now enriched with new skills & fresh achievements --> we emerge stronger
• Time become irrelevant in the flow state
  
• often we need external incentives to take the 1st steps in an activity that requires structured attention (e.g. reading, playing chess). Once we pass the initial stage, the interaction itself starts to provide feedback to our skills, it will become intrinsically rewarding
• Learn to distinguish the useful & the harmful forms of flow
• "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty" --> needs to constantly re-evaluate what we do, lest habits & past wisdom blind us to new possibilities