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I guess you're eating it for the humor here, but I pretty much agree with you at this point in my life. I've tried meditating several times, once every day for

I guess you're eating it for the humor here, but I pretty much agree with you at this point in my life. I've tried meditating several times, once every day for a month or so, and I feel like it's hype. Probably because I never fully "got it" but at the same time I wonder why successful figures in history aren't known for meditating. I feel like like such a beneficial and simple practice would have developed in parallel throughout many cultures and we'd have our own analog- if it was actually beneficial.

michael_dorfman 16y ago
I'm certainly not going to push meditation on anyone, but I don't think the "it wasn't developed in parallel" argument is a poor one-- meditation practices are pretty much ubiquitous throughout all of Asia. That's not nothing. Furthermore, besides the obvious Buddhist and Hindu traditions, there are meditative traditions (albeit minor ones) within Christianity. I'm quite surprised to hear that you tried meditating every day for a month or so, without "getting it"-- to me, that sounds like you had a terrible meditation instructor. Anyway: feel free to not meditate, if that's working for you, but the "not invented here" argument seems pretty weak to me.
- gnaritas 16y ago
  Prayer itself is a form of meditation, it's not at all just minor traditions.
  - michael_dorfman 16y ago
    Not all forms of prayer can be construed as meditation (as it is generally considered.) Some can, but these are not the dominant form in most Christian traditions.
- awakeasleep 16y ago
  Ah, I didn't have a meditation instructor. Tried to go it alone with instructions from the internet.
praptak 16y ago
"... at the same time I wonder why successful figures in history aren't known for meditating." Successful in what way? Meditation is not about making you more efficient in pursuing power, wealth or publicity. Although it may help you a bit in these areas, it's traditionally a tool for actually seeing (as opposed to theoretical understanding) that the true unconditional happiness lies elsewhere.
- awakeasleep 16y ago
  Successful in any way, really. From Theodore Roosevelt to Ben Franklin to Feynman to SI Hayakawa or Chomsky. It seems to me like a technique that helped someone to think more clearly, be happier, or judge their goals more accurately would aid success regardless of what direction they were moving in or what situation they were coping with. However, this thread did convince me to give it another try.
  - jonhendry 16y ago
    Steve Jobs might be the meditating type. Or probably did in his youth, if he doesn't now. He went backpacking in India in the 70s.

michael_dorfman 16y ago

I'm certainly not going to push meditation on anyone, but I don't think the "it wasn't developed in parallel" argument is a poor one-- meditation practices are pretty much ubiquitous throughout all of Asia. That's not nothing. Furthermore, besides the obvious Buddhist and Hindu traditions, there are meditative traditions (albeit minor ones) within Christianity. I'm quite surprised to hear that you tried meditating every day for a month or so, without "getting it"-- to me, that sounds like you had a terrible meditation instructor. Anyway: feel free to not meditate, if that's working for you, but the "not invented here" argument seems pretty weak to me.

gnaritas 16y ago
Prayer itself is a form of meditation, it's not at all just minor traditions.
- michael_dorfman 16y ago
  Not all forms of prayer can be construed as meditation (as it is generally considered.) Some can, but these are not the dominant form in most Christian traditions.
awakeasleep 16y ago
Ah, I didn't have a meditation instructor. Tried to go it alone with instructions from the internet.

praptak 16y ago

"... at the same time I wonder why successful figures in history aren't known for meditating." Successful in what way? Meditation is not about making you more efficient in pursuing power, wealth or publicity. Although it may help you a bit in these areas, it's traditionally a tool for actually seeing (as opposed to theoretical understanding) that the true unconditional happiness lies elsewhere.

awakeasleep 16y ago
Successful in any way, really. From Theodore Roosevelt to Ben Franklin to Feynman to SI Hayakawa or Chomsky. It seems to me like a technique that helped someone to think more clearly, be happier, or judge their goals more accurately would aid success regardless of what direction they were moving in or what situation they were coping with. However, this thread did convince me to give it another try.
- jonhendry 16y ago
  Steve Jobs might be the meditating type. Or probably did in his youth, if he doesn't now. He went backpacking in India in the 70s.