Conversation

A hidden peril of being stuck indoors too much is lack of sensory leakage. Unexpected sights, smells, tastes, noises, textures. "Home" is sensory closure. All sensations are familiar. Stumbling across novel sensations at home is really rare.
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One reason astronomy has been a good escape for me since quarantine is it's a sensory escape you can access from a balcony or backyard. But simply being outdoors in varied environments is hard to match.
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I have like one regular running route that is pleasant, but has turned into a rut, and a couple of nearby hikes that are now so familiar, they are like my living room. Takes a real effort to access unfamiliar sensation under lockdown.
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Wonder if there are known psychological effects. It is not lack of stimulation exactly. There's still TV and books and stuff. It is a lack of intersecting novelty and significance in an open world.
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In hindsight, this is why third places like starbucks were so important to our lifestyles before covid... pleasant and comfortable sensory leakage zones, unlike both home and office. You know you'll get novel sensations, but not unpleasant ones. Well, mostly. Depends on the sbux
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Insightful idea. This is the same parallel suggests regarding the antifragility of attending parties: limited downside (lose a few hrs) + meaningful volatility (random, novel interactions), ft. potential for high upside (lifelong friends/relationships)