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Is there a concept for not wanting to know the time/clock while doing something?

17 points by Espionage724 ↗ HN
Sometimes when doing stuff, playing games, or even relaxing doing nothing, I prefer not to know how much time has passed. It helps me stay in the zone of whatever it is I'm doing. I'm fine with having a vague sense of time with sunlight and night.

On Windows 10 I can hide the clock in the taskbar, and on GNOME I can hide the top bar (except on 44 for now).

I'm wondering if there's some concept or name or anything to describe that?

13 comments

[ 2.2 ms ] story [ 39.2 ms ] thread
rolph
objective oriented engagement, vs time oriented
ketanmaheshwari
I would call it a state of flow. Make your environment full screen to hide time .
keiferski
...when one is in the flow state, they are completely engrossed with the one task at hand and, without making the conscious decision to do so, lose awareness of all other things: time, people, distractions, and even basic bodily needs. According to Csikszentmihályi, this event occurs because all of the attention of the person in the flow state is on the task at hand; there is no more attention to be allocated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

mcgrow
I am using 5 minutes blocks for getting things done. Little bit training, and it's not necessary to know what time it is. So i never know if 1 or 4 hours have gone.

It's easier to come in the flow.

I also don't like absolute times/the view of the clock.

theboywho
I run into a similar experience the other day, as someone with synesthesia, looking at a digital clock messes up with my time–space spatial imagery experience (and also my planning capacity), while looking at an analog clock helps me "view" time in a way that works for me.

I use an analog clock on my wrist, but with an iPhone, I can't disable the screen lock digital clock, so whenever i look at my phone for notifications, I try to avoid looking at the clock. I only recently made this connection and I'm looking to get an Android.

So it's not exactly the same thing as what you are looking for - not wanting to know what time it is -, but close - not wanting to know what time it is using a digital clock -

I have found this article interesting : https://www.noemamag.com/the-tyranny-of-time/

tobr
> with an iPhone, I can't disable the screen lock digital clock, so whenever i look at my phone for notifications, I try to avoid looking at the clock.

You can sort of hide it by setting a flat background color and then use the same color for the time.

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grrdotcloud
I have multiple clocks for time zones and multiple screens, computers.

Oh it's lunch? I've trained myself not to look at the clock even going as far as putting them just outside of my field of vision.