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The quiet art of attention
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Re: The quiet art of attention
#172I know some people may find the introduction engaging, but any article that begins: "There comes a moment in life..." you just know that the author is going to lay out some pretentious self-scripture.
Re: The quiet art of attention
#173It's a bit heavy on the purple prose (though I was guilty of a very similar writing style in my 20s, and as I got on in life the purity of the idea became more important than its surrounding ornamental structures). The gist of the article reminds me of a quote from the famous pianist Clara Schumann who would admonish her more virtuosic students for striving to play through passages as rapidly as possible. "Why hurry…
Totally. Feels like a literary street performer.
Re: The quiet art of attention
#174The article captures everything I believe when it comes to attention. Every word resonates with me.
However, there are two things I would like to share that the article doesn't mention but are of deep importance when it comes to directing attention and 'mastering' one's mind.
First, approaching this as a way to 'master' or conquer your mind isn’t going to take us very far. There is nothing to master. Our minds are the ones wandering, and we, as living conscious beings, can observe the mind and make use of it. However, the idea of mastery is the mind itself trying to master itself, which won't lead us anywhere. If one thinks they have mastered their own mind, it is just the mind in control again, and you are merely acting on its desires rather than on intent that comes from deep within.
Second, and of extreme importance: one cannot give their full attention to the present out of fear. To many, this may sound strange and incomprehensible, but from my own experience delving into meditation and exploring my consciousness through altered states (e.g., hallucinogens), I can confirm that it is fear that prevents us from giving all of our attention even to the smallest things: a still object, a sound, or the feeling of your feet touching the floor. All of these sensory experiences, which for the most part occupy and illuminate the present moment, require something that is the ultimate fear of our minds: death. To be totally present in the moment is to die to the ever-restless and busy mind, and the fear of this death is no different to your mind than the fear of physical death. Even if temporary, full attention in the present moment represents the end of your dreams, desires, and sense of identity, along with everything that permeates it. I know this because the liberation that comes through certain drugs unlocks the potential to fully focus on the present moment. When you try, you may fail miserably because you start fearing what you sense and what you see.
Re: The quiet art of attention
#175Stoicism explores these ideas. One of the basic premises is that all external events are out of our control and to focus on what is, basically what is in our mind and our actions. Then we should try to discipline our ideas around virtues which are always good instead of outcomes and externals. That summary doesn't do it justice, if interested in exploring further. There are some good books on amazon or check out dail…
Wouldn't stoicism be at odds with political action? Why protest if it's all out of our hands?
Re: The quiet art of attention
#176Earlier quoted context omitted.
What you're describing is a state of flow which is good for things like work but the article seems to be talking about time metaphorically. For example, imagine you're going to your daughter's piano recital and spend the whole time thinking about work. You would be missing out on the experience of watching her perform and grow. If you become mindful of these habits and say "My mind is focusing on something that I can…
Maybe you're both right? Staying on the example of recitals. When I concentrate hard listening to the music they seem like they last forever while also being over in the blink of an eye! Similar sensation to being in an isolation chamber
I think this is correct. Time is not, metaphorically, just the perception of elapsed seconds. There is a dimension of depth. And while it may “fly by” it can feel slow if it was spent with depth.
An hour on social media and time laughing with friends can both be fleeting but one will feel better spent.
Re: The quiet art of attention
#177The article captures everything I believe when it comes to attention. Every word resonates with me. However, there are two things I would like to share that the article doesn't mention but are of deep importance when it comes to directing attention and 'mastering' one's mind. First, approaching this as a way to 'master' or conquer your mind isn’t going to take us very far. There is nothing to master. Our minds are th…
It's totally possible to master one's mind. Your statement is one of semantics; an individual has cognitive processes they consider autonomous, and processes they consider conscious, or deliberate. the article is about deliberate processes taking precedence over autonomous processes. It's about being truthful to oneself, and living or thinking in a way that aligns with one's stated goals.
Re: The quiet art of attention
#178I know some people may find the introduction engaging, but any article that begins: "There comes a moment in life..." you just know that the author is going to lay out some pretentious self-scripture.
This is an overly rigid view. "There comes a moment in life" can be used as a relatable, humanizing introduction, drawing readers into a shared experience or insight. It doesn't necessarily lead to pretentiousness—what matters is how the idea is developed after that.
Re: The quiet art of attention
#179I like it, but man, white on black text is really hard on the eyes.
Re: The quiet art of attention
#180The article captures everything I believe when it comes to attention. Every word resonates with me. However, there are two things I would like to share that the article doesn't mention but are of deep importance when it comes to directing attention and 'mastering' one's mind. First, approaching this as a way to 'master' or conquer your mind isn’t going to take us very far. There is nothing to master. Our minds are th…
For many you are correct. I can confirm, through my own observation, that many, not all, are controlled by fear, and fear of death is one of the most prevalent. Death is universal, but fear of death is not.