Computer Scientist Donald Knuth shares this note about email on his website –
“Email is a wonderful thing for people whose role in life is to be on top of things. But not for me; my role is to be on the bottom of things. What I do takes long hours of studying and uninterruptible concentration. I try to learn certain areas of computer science exhaustively; then I try to digest that knowledge into a form that is accessible to people who don’t have time for such study.”
While he wrote this about email, it could apply just as nicely to social media, the news, or the phone.
And, as part of my upcoming week off, I’m excited to test being at the bottom of things for the next 4 days.
This means a switched off phone, minimal time on my laptop (likely just to write here), slow to no responses to emails and notes on social media, and plenty of downtime.
It’s been a while since I’ve committed to extended time at the bottom of things. And, I’m excited for the change of pace.
