Demise of Contemplative Space

Demise of Contemplative Space
Originally uploaded by Loose Wire.

Now there are TVs on buses, in lifts, in waiting rooms, is there any room left for contemplation?

In tandem with my earlier musings about the demise of downtime, we're seeing those places that once, by accident or design, encouraged pondering, mulling, whatever you want to call, shrink in number.

In this case, it was a Singapore bus where passengers are assaulted by strategically placed screens and ubiquitous noise (playing a three minute opera based on the word 'miaow') . I used to love sitting on a bus and looking at the world outside, generally speaking undisturbed, everyone collectively lost in their individual thoughts. Now all eyes are inward, drawn towards the TV that is so hard to ignore.

No TVs on the subway -- yet. Think I'll take that next time.

Comments

[Frank Shaw]

It's finding time that's quiet that keeps me sane -- much of my best thinking comes while running/biking, sometimes listening to music, sometimes not -- the constant drum of overstimulation is a creativity killer.

[Kenneth Urban]

Frank is absolutely correct. As a Meyers-Briggs INTJ, all the noise and overstimulation saps my energy. After a day at work, I need quiet time to refill my reserve. The ubiquitous presence of media devices is probably the most frightening part of the Blade Runner world to me, and from the looks of things we're nearly there at least from that standpoint. At least it isn't dark and raining all the time yet :-)