I do do not do don't do stuff

[kerravonsen]

Pondering on this:

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."

---- Romans 7:15-20 (NIV)

Thing is... it isn't as if I don't want to do the things that I do, or I wouldn't do them. I want to do them at that moment. But... the problem seems to me, that I have contradictory wants that are incompatible with each other. I don't mean "the battle between good and evil in my soul". It isn't that straightforward. If it were, it would be easier to choose between them.

Take this example: I want to go to bed at a reasonable time, so I get adequate rest. I also want to keep working on the project I am working on. It's not like one of these is evil, but they are incompatible with each other when it's after 11PM at night. Why is it that I keep working on the project when I also know that working on the project will prevent me from sleeping?

Want #1: keep working
Want #2: stop working

I can't do both.

I'm wondering if this is a combination of inertia (keep doing what you are currently doing) and inability to grasp delayed gratification -- that is, the project is here now in front of me, the good sleep is more ephemeral, because it isn't like I will fall asleep as soon as I want to. The Superego knows that I ought to stop, while the Id just wants to keep working.

And in the meantime, I get tired.

Comments

[sallymn]

My problem is so often I want to have done something, but not to have do do the actual work of doing... and I ,em>know that's natural indolence at work :(

[kerravonsen]

8-)

[dreamflower]

I'm wondering if this is a combination of inertia (keep doing what you are currently doing) and inability to grasp delayed gratification -- that is, the project is here now in front of me, the good sleep is more ephemeral, because it isn't like I will fall asleep as soon as I want to.

I often think it's inertia that takes over. Whatever it is I am doing, it is easier to keep doing it than to get up and do something else. Whether I am doing something I should do or not doesn't seem to matter.

Sometimes I think it's better when I am NOT doing a project, because if it's a timewaster like channel-surfing or playing a mindless game, I'm not going to ruin something from being too tired, like I would if I was working on needlework or beading or calligraphy or something like that. And I've sometimes nodded off right in the middle of something and messed it up completely.

Sometimes I think humans would probably never move if we didn't have physical needs like hunger, thirst or the need to eliminate!

[kerravonsen]

Not every human -- some humans can't sit still. 8-)