On Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:48:36 -0400, Tom Watson
wrote:
CharlieB:
Check out a much studied Psych phenom called, "flow".
Not that it explains all, but there is a developed language.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
"In his seminal work, 'Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience',
Csíkszentmihályi outlines his theory that people are most happy when
they are in a state of flow— a state of concentration or complete
absorption with the activity at hand and the situation. The idea of
flow is identical to the feeling of being in the zone or in the
groove. The flow state is an optimal state of intrinsic motivation,
where the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing. This is
a feeling everyone has at times, characterized by a feeling of great
freedom, enjoyment, fulfillment, and skill—and during which temporal
concerns (time, food, ego-self, etc.) are typically ignored.[citation
needed]
In an interview with Wired magazine, Csíkszentmihályi described flow
as "being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego
falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows
inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being
is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost." [2]
To achieve a flow state, a balance must be struck between the
challenge of the task and the skill of the performer. If the task is
too easy or too difficult, flow cannot occur.
The flow state also implies a kind of focused attention, and indeed,
it has been noted that mindfulness meditation, yoga, and martial arts
seem to improve a person's capacity for flow. Among other benefits,
all of these activities train and improve attention.
In short; flow could be described as a state where attention,
motivation, and the situation meet, resulting in a kind of productive
harmony or feedback."
(Of course some people are just more...viscous...than others.)
Regards, Tom.
Thos. J. Watson - Cabinetmaker
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet