Why You Should PAY ME to DO NOTHING in Front of a Webcam

in #blockchain6 years ago (edited)

“Don’t just do something, stand there.” -Rumi


It recently occurred to me that forcing myself to sit in silence for 8 hours a day would probably cure most of my mental and emotional problems. I most likely will not do this anytime soon because I am a full time student; but I do believe that quiet sitting for long periods is important for living well.

For some reason, this got me wondering. What if there was a website that payed people to sit in front of a webcam for a predetermined amount of time and do nothing in particular?

Not only could this be entertaining, but it could catalyze personal growth for people who are stuck in life, have no job, suffer from mental illness, etc. It could also provide a basis for clinical research, see what makes people tick, see what helps people reach their full potential. This could also teach the subjects how to overcome fear and anxiety, since they will be forced to sit and accept that the world won’t explode if they put life on hold for a few hours. I don’t know about you, but much of my inner turmoil comes from my inability to accept the things I cannot change in the world and in myself.

Do we not already put life on hold for eight hours a day under the sole assumption that we will be okay if we get enough money? If yes, then what difference will it make if I am doing “nothing” or “something” for those eight hours? For most people, it is a coincidence that they build skills and relationships while making money; however, one can also improve themselves outside of work, provided they have the time and money to do so.

To shake things up a bit and provide ad revenue to pay the subjects for their time, the platform could also pay people to monitor a stream and give feedback to a program that manages the if/then payment contracts (i.e. if the subject uses drugs, they will not be paid for the time they are high). Of course this would have some limits. It would be in the administration’s best interest to outline acceptable activity under their terms of agreement (i.e. terms of payment).

For instance, the admin might set limits on sexual activity, eating, drinking, drug use, computer and smartphone use, music, others in the room, talking, dancing, walking etc. The rules would limit most activity to promote quiet stillness. If the subject breaches these terms, the monitors will be responsible for flagging time not spent in quiet stillness, and they will receive no money for that time. They are only paid for as long as they sit in silence.

Let me know what you think. Poke holes in it.

-Nikolai

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Nice idea, it would certainly encourage people to sit down without distraction for a while. Maybe they would feel the gift of silence if they sit there - just to be in the present moment.
But if people just sit there playing a role for money, it's not the same as sitting in silence. The effect of this experiment really depends on your intention :-)

You're right, there are always people who will look to misuse and abuse things. I think most people simply do not have the motivation or commitment to sit for long enough periods to unlock deep insights, myself included. If I got paid as well as I get for manual labor, I would gladly sit. I think simply removing myself from technology and constant stimulation would set the stage for fruitful stillness. I just have a really hard time doing that without accountability or camaraderie.

It sounds like getting paid to meditate.

basically yes. I didn't want to use that word.

seems like a wild social experiment ... I'm in :)

I dunno... sounds really wierd to me lol. Good luck on your experiment!

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