Be advised; this thread is not for serious in depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.
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When I would go on day-long fasts, the only way I could get myself to complete it was to look forward to my large meal at the end of the day. And I had to look forward to the enjoyable part of the meal, not the vegetables but the buttery pasta or tasty chicken. If I didn’t have this enjoyment to look forward to, or even if I didn’t already plan exactly what I would be eating, I would invariably lose motivation and quit the fast early. When it did come time to eat, the eating was much more pleasurable and relaxing than usual (imagine being hungry and stoned at the same time).
Is this a larger phenomenon that can be generalized or just a bug in my brain’s code? Do humans work better when they have a determined, concrete enjoyment that they are 99% sure awaits them? The knowledge of “fasts are good for me”, “my hunger will go away”, “this is making me stronger” wasn’t nearly as motivating as simply knowing and anticipating a half-hour of enjoyable eating.
I feel this 1000%. In fact, one of the things in life that ruins my day harder than almost anything else1, is when I have some specific libations planned out for my evening. Then my wife comes along, and fixes me different libations without asking me if I even wanted them, or me telling her to do so. They might be good, but they are not what I spent the last 16 or more hours looking forward to! What ensues is usually a fraught conversation about how I was planning on enjoying something different, and her moping that I'm not appreciating the effort she went to.
Luckily after 10+ years together, she's slowly learned that I want what I want, and trying to pro actively provide me with something "better" just ruins both our days.
1: Almost anything being limited to stuff that is likely to happen with any regularity. IE: Stubbing my toe, my alarm not going off, the kid getting into my stuff and scattering it to the 4 winds.
I feel this hard. Any sudden change to plans I've been dwelling on for hours fills me with a sudden, irrational rage. In the throes of adolescent emotional extremes, it would fuck me up for hours. As an adult, I've learned to just take 30 seconds to let my brain error and reboot.
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If she likes surprising you with her effort, has she tried asking, "when is a good day for me to surprise you?" or are you so much a creature of habit that the answer is usually "no day"
Although the surprise won't be "that much" if you're expecting it, you won't be disappointed from looking forward to your usual right?
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