Blocking Out The World
The world is filled with things we cannot control. We put ourselves out there, aware of the risk that bad things might happen, just to give ourselves the opportunity for good things to happen. We hope for the best and try to avoid the undesirable vagaries of nature. But when we depend on people, careers, or events in our lives, we are opening ourselves to possibilities we cannot foresee.
Although it is necessary to confront the randomness of the outside world most of the time in order to participate in socialized life, there are moments where we eliminate almost all chance of disappointment and wrap ourselves in the protection of our own mind.
Sinking into your subconscious is the subject of one of my other writings; what I emphasize here is specifically facilitating a lack of connection with the outside world. It requires active thinking to recognize thoughts that are tied to the outside world, since those thoughts are all classified as “normal:” I wonder if my mom is mad at me. I hope I got an ‘A’ on that test. It would be great if I met someone at tonight’s party. But separating out thoughts that are bound to circumstances you can’t control can be crucial.
When things are going well for a day, a week, or a moment, it doesn’t seem necessary to retreat from the outside world. But when things are going poorly, all you want to do is get away from the source of the negativity. It is important to know how to do that. There are already things that are built into your life that are constant and very much under your control. Use those things to comfort yourself. Savor them.
When I was taking midterms in college, I used to relish the few moments after I got under my bed covers but before I went to sleep. I often found myself smiling involuntarily the moment my weight sank into the mattress. Shuffling off the stress of the day and slipping into my own personal world felt incredible. Even now, I sometimes think to myself how much I enjoy those last conscious moments, and how it’s too bad they’re so close to sleep as to render themselves blurry in my memory.
Other ways I block out the world temporarily are through writing, video games, and music. The last is probably the most common way people temporarily secede from the world. And in a way, all art is a form of escape – an escape that is so fundamental to human living that every culture from every time period has participated in it.
It is important to vivify your mental alone-time, to recognize and seize upon it. The respite you’ll receive from blocking out the world once in a while could sweeten your life experience.
8 Comments
Amazing composition indeed!
i love this but why block out the world when you can jest make it better. you should rember the good things in life instead of blocking out the bad things.
Dear writer:
I love your mind and your posts. You are an unbelievable writer. You write on things that matter. I’m hooked!
You have the remarkable ability to describe the moments generally referred to as indescribable. There are many out there, lost between who they are and what they think they should be. These are the genuine people of today.
I block out the world by dreaming. I dream about Also This, my fairy world. From Also This you can get to any world that you want to. Right off of the west coast is The Wood Between The Worlds, from Narnia, and if you head even farther west than you can reach Never-Neverland. Heading east you can get to Otherworld, where many of the fairies live. In Otherworld is the Silver Bough, which allows mortals to come and go from the Analogue World (Earth) to Otherworld, with the permission of Queen Tatiana, the beautiful fairy queen. Oops! I guess that I got carried away, but that’s where I go when I need a break from the hypocratic world of grown up people. I’m taking a test on saturday, so I am kind of upset. I never, ever, EVER want to grow up!!
please blog!!!!
boy i sounded desperate in september! lol i think i made myself look stupid - but i don’t really care too much 
You make it sound so simple Evan! I think you underestimate your ability. Many find it difficult to sleep at night if there is something on ones mind. However, I know what you mean when you experience the moment just before you fall asleep. It fascinates me, I wish I can stay in that zone forever. Sometimes, I open my eyes suddenly and I feel like I have been on a voyage that lasted and eternity. When I really just dosed of for a few minutes.
Your website is amazing. I read your other article about Fait. Well, it was fait that brought me to this website. You have a gift!
I think this is a amazing composition. Than again how does one know of the adult mind when I myself has had only 14 years of learning. I think that you have an amazing mind, and you can do lot with it.