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Labyrinths and mazes

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There's a crucial, and wonderful, distinction between mazes and labyrinths.

A maze is a multi-branching, complex structure with twists, turns, choices, dead-ends and treasure or Triwizard cups in the centre. It's confusing, daunting, exciting, fun, challenging, maybe deadly. A maze heightens awareness, concentration, and your heart rate.

A labyrinth has a single path. One long, twisting, but unwavering path towards the central destination and back out. It's simple, calming, straightforward, reassuring and satisfying. Every step is progress. There are no tough choices to make. No paths, maps or mental models to balance in your head. Nothing to intrude on your thinking, just your next step. A labyrinth gives space for your thoughts, and is calming and peaceful.

If you want adventure and action, find a maze. If you'd like calm and contemplation, find a labyrinth.

No wonder then that walking a labyrinth has been found to reduce stress, increase calm and aid recovery in hospitals and centres for therapy and mental health care. Try tracing your finger over the paths of each to feel the difference. Also see: solvitur ambulando.

The two are based on the hedge maze at Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace near where we live, and the wonderful Land's End Labyrinth (video) near where we used to live.

The original labyrinth of Crete, of Theseus and the Minotaur fame, was complex and confusing and no doubt not like the labyrinths that have now evolved from it.

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sethuramang
1320 days ago
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When You Assume

5 Comments and 21 Shares
You know what happens when you assert--you make an ass out of the emergency response team.
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sethuramang
3850 days ago
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4 public comments
b12
3911 days ago
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ahhhhhah.
JayM
3911 days ago
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.
Atlanta, GA
TheTom
3912 days ago
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Dammit Drew, he's stolen our thing!
Adelaide
DrewMcMahon
3910 days ago
lol
reconbot
3912 days ago
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You know what happens when you assert--you make an ass out of the emergency response team.
New York City

Lorenz

4 Comments and 12 Shares
Every choice, no matter how small, begins a new story.
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sethuramang
3850 days ago
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4 public comments
satadru
3886 days ago
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I assume the title is a reference to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenz_system (and also click through like @mareino says to do.)
New York, NY
stavrosg
3886 days ago
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...wait, where did the past hour go?
Rodos, Greece
adamgurri
3886 days ago
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whoa
New York, NY
mareino
3886 days ago
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Ignore the graphic and click through. Randall must be burning through servers today keeping this one running.
Washington, District of Columbia
JamesDiGioia
3885 days ago
Thanks! Saw yesterday's comic in the feed and almost skipped over it.

This ingenious stapleless stapler guarantees...

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This ingenious stapleless stapler guarantees you'll never run out of staples again.

(Want more? See NOTCOT.org and NOTCOT.com)
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sethuramang
4041 days ago
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Understand Rap

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Understand Rap
Rap, hip hop, whatever you want to call it — sometimes song lyrics leave you feeling clueless about their meaning — but don't worry, Understand Rap: Explanations of Confusing Rap... Rap ($10) is here to...

Visit Uncrate for the full post.






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sethuramang
4041 days ago
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Pastime

8 Comments and 41 Shares
Good thing we're too smart to spend all day being uselessly frustrated with ourselves. I mean, that'd be a hell of a waste, right?
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sethuramang
4184 days ago
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8 public comments
AndyG1128
4184 days ago
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Me neither
Nashville, TN
sleepwalker
4183 days ago
Likewise.
smarkwell
4184 days ago
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Touche
rgsunico
4184 days ago
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Zing!
jonjonnyp
4184 days ago
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basically.
Atlanta, Georgia
adamgurri
4184 days ago
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welp
New York, NY
bronzehedwick
4184 days ago
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Man that's good.
Tarrytown, NY
JayM
4184 days ago
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Ha!
Atlanta, GA
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