Concept Fatigue

April 11, 2009 by Mary Wynne-Wynter 

Isn’t it wonderful to have access to a world of knowledge for our consumption and upon which we can build our businesses, differentiate our brands and better direct our personal lives? Or not.
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In fact, when we’re overly driven to add more, to learn more, to understand more, to know more.. we can set ourselves up for the suffering that sneaks up when we’re overly attached to more and more of anything. The excitement of discovering new content, and following new threads and people, wears off and we’re left bewildered about why there’s a sudden shift in our mood to one of tension with mind and body in a knot.

We’re all susceptible to concept fatigue although I believe its easier to see in others.

For example, self-awareness is the cornerstone of my business and personal direction. So I’ve been stoked to recently discover new ideas, insights and perspectives at the intersection of consciousness, neuroscience and cognition. This week alone I added several books and videos. I was on a roll, stuffing my mind non-stop with great new stuff and figuring out how it would fit. My ego loved it. But the resulting dissatisfaction and total energy drain helped me recognize, and hopefully be more mindful about, the paradox of concept attachment in the conceptual world. You get stress, not success.

Antidotes include stopping at the first sign of tightness, breathing, relaxing and reading anything by Pema Chondron.

Filed under: knowledge, self-awareness, stress relief
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