07/07/2014
People Prefer Electric Shocks To Thinking Alone, Says Study
University of Virginia researchers conducted 11 experiments testing people's ability to keep themselves entertained and focused without any external distractions. They found that nobody likes to be alone in their head. Many participants even chose painful electric shocks instead of spending a few minutes of quiet contemplation.
■Class discussion: Do you ever just sit still by yourself and think? Have you ever tried? Do you need to constantly do something, watch something or talk to someone? Why are people afraid of just quietly sitting still? Is quiet contemplation necessary for creativity? Do you know anything about the famous "thought experiments" of Albert Einstein?