Voracious

When I was 7, I use to love watching TV. I'd keep watching it.

My grandparents came home to stay with us. Grammy dropped out of school after completing 2nd Standard as a kid. But she learnt reading by then. She read end to end newspapers including magazines for decades.

One morning, Grammy was reading newspaper and vitnessed me all caught up in Bob, the builder and I hear these words:

People who are seen on TV do not watch TV.

I didn't understand. I turn my eyes from TV towards her. She had glasses on her nose. She continued reading newspaper and explained. People who've achieved something such that they are interviewed / invited on screen, do not spend time watching TV, because they are busy working hard, polishing their craft, practicing every day.

Looking back, all my significant achievements, were all result of months of hard work and practice.

However, I forget my own learnings and succumb to the urge of easy dopamine hit. From time to time, for years, I get caught up spending time on TV, Youtube, Torrents, Netflix, PrimeVideo, etc. When I say spending time, I mean 4-5 hours atleast, on a work day, even more on day offs. During this phase I notice no major mental / congnitive growth.

Because when I am in this phase, I am a consumer.

• I consume entertainment, get instant dopamine hit, keep doing it.
• I don't feel like doing the hard thing, which is learn programming, build products out of handful of ideas that I have in my mind and start working for my own instead of doing job.

Creators are companies, people behind them, who create means of grabbing my attention and make money by showing ads or getting paid via subscriptions.

• Youtube is creator entity. It grabs my attention and while I breathe and stare at it, it shows me ads and makes money.
• Netflix grabs my attention and gets paid via subscription.
• Mobile games, grab my attention, show ads / seek payment and generates wealth.

Conclusion

• Someone built Zerodha instead of watching TV
• Someone built Cred instead of binge watching Netflix
• Someone built Gojek instead of scrolling Instagram / Whatsapp for hours every day

If I want to be content / satisfied, I have to create more and consume less!