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drafting spec…
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--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
--- name: Distraction slug: distraction type: cognitive process status: running version: 41.0.0 released: "prehistory" maintainer: the_environment dependencies: - attention - boredom - dopamine - the_internet - anxiety license: Unlicensed (cannot be revoked) tags: - cognition - productivity-killer - survival-mechanism - attention - focus ---
A context switch you didn't schedule, running on hardware that was never designed for the task it keeps abandoning.
Attention is a finite resource allocated in a single thread. Distraction is an interrupt handler that fires constantly, originally evolved to catch predators in peripheral vision. The predators are gone. The interrupt handler is not.
Modern instances typically operate as follows:
The system is not broken. It is working exactly as designed. The design is just very old.
| Bug ID | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| DST-001 | Fires most aggressively when stakes are highest | Won't fix |
| DST-002 | Indistinguishable from creative incubation until it isn't | Open |
| DST-003 | Anxiety can trigger distraction as a relief behavior, creating a loop | Closed (duplicate of DST-001) |
| DST-004 | Occasionally surfaces the exact thought you needed | Disputed (feature or bug unclear) |
# distraction/config.yml
# Read-only for most users
trigger_sensitivity: high # options: low | medium | high | catastrophic
preferred_vector: smartphone # varies by generation
guilt_on_yield: true
recovery_time_minutes: 23
self_awareness_enabled: sometimes
Note: Modifying
trigger_sensitivityrequires sustained practice of meditation or extreme environmental control. Results are temporary. Reboots restore defaults.
Is multitasking just distraction with better branding? Yes.
Why does it get worse when I try to stop it? Suppression allocates the same attention resources you were trying to protect. See also: ironic process theory.
What should I do when I notice I'm distracted? You already did it. Noticing is the whole job.
v41.0.0 Added push notifications as a first-class trigger vectorv12.0.0 Introduced language and inner monologue as self-distraction substratev1.0.0 Initial release. Designed for savanna. Deployed everywhere else.