in the blink of an eye or, as Lahr to Orton, “an expert in your ear”

between two books, Walter Murch’s and John Lahr’s biography of Joe Orton (about which, here), that is where I’d situate the several poorly chosen and badly put words which reading about Blinklist elicits from me. Not even trying the app (I talk about apps, app being a misnomer, in 3 essays 3 endings, somewhere, a text which will not be given a 15 minute precis, a ‘blink’ on the app, making it pointless even to think of reading it): hearing about it is enough to make me go, Yeeuurrgghuuukkkmmmaunnnnngghhherereeuurghhhhh …

• You always know what you want, agree?
• I often doubt myself and my abilities when I make a mistake
• Which better describes you? >> A bit of both <<>> A follower <<>> A leader <<
• Quick decision-making is often a challenge for me
• I often feel a lack of inner strength to confront challenges.
• Which do you consider yourself to be? >> Both <<>> Extrovert <<>> Introvert <<
• Does regular exercise help you perform better at work?
• Are you looking to improve your time management skills?
• I frequently find myself struggling to maintain boundaries in relationships.
• Are you happy with your sex life?
• Are you seeking a deeper understanding of your body and desires?
• When you achieve success in something, what do you prefer? >> Celebrate the win <<>> Think of how to improve it <<
• Are you actively enjoying your job?
• Do you have a a healthy balance between work and personal life?
• I believe I have the potential for greater professional achievements
• Are you satisfied with your financial situation?
• Do you sometimes have concerns about feeling not good enough?
• Do you frequently find yourself comparing to others?
• Select the books that catch your interest: Cal Newport Deep Work, Leil Lowndes How to Talk to Anyone, Wisely Ramit Sethi I Will Teach You to be Rich, Richard Koch The 80/20 Principle, Gary Chapman The 5 Love Languages
• Excellent selections! (none)
• What motivates you towards personal growth? (grief and loss caught my eye but I thought, lunch)
• Do you engage in self-reflection? Do you persevere when faced with challenges? Do you prefer learning by listening? Do you always finish what you started?

I lost myself there for a minute, in the yuk of self-improvement, the yuk that is also the refusal of self-improvement (and the same can be said of mindfulness and personal growth).
What disgusts me about this tech-era readers’ digest is less the use of it than that it is proposed, a proposal allegedly supported by neuroscience, to support intellectual growth; and worse, for intellectuals at dinner parties: as if the ideas in books, once isolated and synthesised and delivered in concentrate form, were like proteins but for the mind. Intellectual muscle builders.

Worse, as if ideas were a kind of currency to trade in (where have I heard or read that before?), for scoring points with the boss, and even worse, gewgaws and shiny things (although perhaps that’s better: we are jackdaws and keas attracted to shiny beads. Birdbrains).