Subjective Reality Experiment
Beginning Sept. 1, 2009, I will be starting a 3–month subjective reality experiment. That means no TV, no internet, and no books during that period of time. I will also not listen to radio, or read any newspapers and magazines. Basically, I will be trying to experience the world through my own eyes, not through any media or print.
The goals of this experiment include:
– to accelerate my learning of Chinese language and culture
– to experience a different view of reality
– to reduce information consumption and overload
– to overcome the need of an authority to confirm my beliefs
– as with any other experiment, to have fun 
Let me discuss my thinking on the concept of subjective reality in more detail.
All areas of human knowledge can be roughly divided into two parts, subjective or objective truths. Discovering objective truths is the realm of science, where people try to discover how the universe actually works. For example, scientists discovered that earth rotates around the sun, and not the other way around, by combining results of multiple observations into a logical system that makes sense.
Subjective truths occupy the small world around each of us, comprising the areas of our health, our relationships, and our business activities. These truths are subjective since no one can fully explain them using the current scientific framework because of their complexity and lack of scientific knowledge. For example, no doctor can tell you why you are having a headache because there are literally millions of reasons why you might be experiencing one. It could be because of the food, air pollution, noise, solar flares, drugs, etc. or a combination of any number of factors….
Because of the complexity of subjective experiences, it doesn’t make sense to try to figure out exactly what is going on and put it into a coherent logical framework. It could take you a lifetime and might not be worth it. The best way to find subjective truths is not by trying to discover what the world actually is and how it works, but instead by directly experiencing it. Direct first-hand experience gives you subjective knowledge that is invaluable in solving your own subjective problems. For me, solving a subjective problem of chronic headaches that I struggled with for years only required a change to my diet. For someone else, the solution might be totally different because of the subjective nature of the problem.
Starting the SR experiment, I have to accept that much of what I know about subjective truths in my life could be false, since it was not acquired through direct experience. Instead, it was acquired through TV, internet, books and the advice of others. Why do I read books anyways? There is no point in reading books to discover subjective truths. It is self-evident what needs to be done. Action. Direct experience and action. I don’t need to read books to improve my health. It’s obvious that to improve it I need to eat healthier and exercise. No more objective knowledge is needed, only action!
Some other details and expectations about the experiment:
– letting go of TV should be the easiest, since I didn’t subscribe to cable in the last year of living in St. Louis and only used it to watch DVDs
– I expect it to be difficult for me to let go of reading books, since I’ve been doing a lot of that since purchasing Amazon’s Kindle this summer!
– I plan to check email once a week, just like with regular mail
– I will still let myself use the internet in certain situations where it is the best tool to use (like buying air tickets on expedia.com), but never to browse any kind of news or forum websites. Total internet usage should not exceed 10 hours per month, which hopefully would completely eliminate my internet addiction.
