Researchers in Japan asked volunteers to sit in a room free of any distractions, such as a smartphone, for up to 20 minutes. In several different scenarios, participants underestimated how enjoyable it was for them to sit and think. So, the scientists asked people to estimate how much they would like to be alone with their thoughts. Later, the volunteers simultaneously told what they really experienced. Researchers have found that people enjoy spending time with their thoughts much more than they think.
In another experiment, people were asked to rate how much they enjoyed sitting without being distracted or browsing the news online. People expected the former to be significantly less enjoyable than the latter, but later reported similar levels of enjoyment.
Source: Ferra
