Mixtape: The Recovery Theory of Presence
Rest as an antitode to continuous partial attention
Dear Friends,
I had an epiphany last week while surrounded by 15 endurance cyclists who seemingly exist in only two states: all in or all out. They were either locked in conversation—deep, unguarded, philosophical—or they were resting. None of the liminal middle ground, the cursed, continuous partial attention that characterizes so much of Life in 2025. No notifications. No screens. No memes.
They inhabit their lives fully, not vicariously through reality TV or the dopamine slot machines of Candy Crush, DraftKings, and Temu. They were alive, curious, hungry for more. Electricity crackled between us until it shut off completely for bouts of hibernation. This is my tribe, I thought. This is how I want to live: intensely, attentively, with intermittent bouts of deep, quiet recovery — sleep, meditation, sensory deprivation pods. Whatever it takes to bring back the hyper-attention and crackling electricity.
You know what else is great about deep rest and recovery? It makes the music sound so good.
🎵 Songs I liked this week
My love affair with European indie rock continues, this time with Norway’s Pom Poko (with upcoming shows in Denver, Seattle, Portland, SF, and LA!). But my real obsession last week was Abel Selaocoe’s cello.
📚 4 Weekend Reads
What is rotting, if not rest? by
— “To rot is to lie down and evade true consciousness through mind-numbing stimuli.”
You can put on a face mask and get in the bath and continue to be anxious in the bath. The task doesn’t define the mood; it’s the other way around. This is why, sometimes, dinner with a friend can feel restful, while cancelling to rot can leave you feeling more drained than you were before.
Linda Stone’s original 2009 piece on continuous partial attention … a kind of attentive FOMO:
Continuous partial attention describes a state in which attention is on a primary task, while, at the same time, scanning for other people, activities, or opportunities, and replacing the primary task with something that seems, in this next moment, more important.
Different kinds of rest (via
)
Maybe the quarterback is the ultimate symbol of the American male in control, ascending, transcending the confines of our domestic worlds. If so, the fan is the opposite, the American man as patient, acted upon.
⍞ A quote I liked:
“To see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.” ~ Georgia O’Keeffe
😝 lol:
Have a great weekend!
David