16 ms·

The quiet art of attention

• space_oddity 2y ago
  The notion that this process is gradual, built on small, deliberate actions, resonates deeply
• akomtu 2y ago
  Ads Industry would rather not you to have any control over your attention. Indeed, if ads can't distract you, can't steal your attention, then those ads can't make money.
• bilater 2y ago
  Good content but damn I hate when HN users throw out ugly looking sites like this. You can add this to the body tag in the console to make it nicer <body style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6; color: #333; background-color: #f9f9f9; padding: 20px; margin: 0 auto; max-width: 750px;">
  • RedNifre 2y ago
    Have you tried reader mode? Firefox' works perfect for this website.
• sinaptia_dev 2y ago
  [flagged]
• firemelt 2y ago
  where to read more, post article like this?
• indigodaddy 2y ago
  Some good related ideas here: https://kirpalsingh-mission.org/uom/en/library/sant-kirpal-singh-talks/love-and-surrender-one-pointed-attention/ https://kirpalsingh-mission.org/uom/en/library/sant-kirpal-s...
• FacelessJim 2y ago
  This is something that I have always strived for, and try to practice every living moment. You put in clearer and more detailed words what I have been trying to develop by myself. I will be forever grateful for the time I spent practicing martial arts when I was younger. I was lucky enough to find a master that did not teach the practice as a means to reach agonistic goals but instead as practicing mindfulness and self observation. It was never explicitly told or explained in detail how to do it, it was simply practiced over and over again, indirectly, by checking the positions of your body, legs and arms, are they in the correct position? Am I engaging the correct set of muscles? Does the position feel powerful? Is my attention (ki) flowing in the correct direction, in the right spot? Am I aware of my surroundings and perceptive of my practice partner? We were slowly taught to pay attention, by means of watching ourselves trying to perfect something. Later in life I realized how much of an impact this had on my ability to concentrate, be present, not only in the physical sphere but also in the mental and spiritual or emotional sphere. I slowly began to realize that the real practice of the martial art and striving for the perfect form were always a mean to the real goal of instead practicing mindfulness and perseverence. To me that is the “art” in martial arts. I am not trying to put them on a pedestal, I believe that this “art” is proper of any activity a human can do, that can become art when it is a means to practice this kind of mindfulness.
  • space_oddity 2y ago
    It's inspiring to hear how your martial arts training shaped your mindfulness
• deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
• soheil 2y ago
  First thought, the person who wrote this seems to be showing strong signs of ADHD. > step by step... Just as a mountain is climbed not in great leaps but in steady, measured steps Umm, why does it need to be like a mountain climber and not a multi-core GPU with parallel processing? In fact when thinking about a difficult problem it's best to abandon a narrow incremental way of thinking for a much wider holistic one. > It asks that we slow down, that we look more closely What if not all brains are equal and some can move leaps and bounds where others are just able to barely scratch the surface? > This process of simplification is not an escape from complexity. It is, in fact, a way of engaging with it more meaningfully. No, pretty sure it is an escape from complexity and it doesn't make it not so just because you added that sentence. You are saying cut down the stuff that goes on in your brain at any given instance, you have two choices to do that a. speed up your thinking b. reduce the number of things going on. You certainly did not advocate for a so b it is. > It is tempting, in moments of ambition, to think that we must change everything all at once, that the path to mastery or peace requires a sudden, dramatic shift. But this is rarely the case. In truth, most lasting changes come from small, deliberate actions. I like this bit and I think clarity does come from deliberate actions. But again very much sounds like something that someone with ADHD would say. > This is not about control in the traditional sense, but about clarity. To act, not from reflex, but from intent. That sounds like control to me, to act from intent means you are in the driver's seat and not a merely reactionary passenger. Yup I know there is stigma against control and more so in recent times, but in essence you're saying control without actually saying it because of the fear of negative associations with that word.
• aanet 2y ago
  Lovely writing, beautiful prose, and more importantly, very cogently argued for a more meditative, attentive life. The thoughts expressed aren't entirely new; indeed Buddhism has been teaching this for millennia (or two). But, good to read this now and then to be reminded of a more deliberate, slow(er) and intent-ful life. Kudos! <3
• rammy1234 2y ago
  Focus , one I am struggling with recently, central theme and I read this at right time. Thank you for writing this
• chiefrubberduck 2y ago
  if you lost your wealth, you have lost nothing if you lost your health, you have lost something if you lost your peace, you have lost everything
• sp3000 2y ago
  Fantastic writing. I recently did a yoga / meditation retreat (Inner Engineering by Sadhguru) that helps develop this and I find it immensely helpful. I always had trouble knowing how or where to begin, despite reading and knowing so much about the benefits. Inner Engineering gave me structure and insights, and after only practicing it for a week, I have experienced significant changes already.
• danjc 2y ago
  Attention is all you need
• cainxinth 2y ago
  > And it is then, perhaps, that a subtle truth begins to emerge: the only thing we truly possess, the only thing we might, with enough care, exert some mastery over, is our mind. This essay is taking a philosophical tack, but what came to my mind was a practical reality of my favorite hobby: road cycling. You can wear all the safety gear, cover your bike in flashing lights and your body in high vis, but the only thing really keeping you safe is your own focus on the road and the other vehicles.
• billwear 2y ago
  good advice on the site CSS, meeting you halfway (black on white is too stark for my eyes, as it is for many people)
• andsoitis 2y ago
  "As we grow in this practice of attention, something else becomes clear: much of what occupies our thoughts is unnecessary. The mind is cluttered, filled with concerns that seem urgent but, on closer inspection, do little to serve our deeper well-being. Simplification is not just a matter of decluttering our physical surroundings—it is a way of thinking, of living. As we quiet the noise within, we see more clearly what truly matters. We focus, not on everything, but on the essentials. We pare down, not by force, but by choice." Our information-technology driven culture does not help; the algorithms and shiny objects they push undermine our attention-ability.
  • abound 2y ago
    This may be the culture, but one can largely choose to not participate in it. E.g. not having social media accounts and curating your news sources with a focus on unsensational, fact-based reporting.
    • billwear 2y ago
      yes.
    • rfonseca 2y ago
      "curating your news sources with a focus on unsensational, fact-based reporting" -> curious how you do this!
      • dleink 2y ago
        I’m working on this as a personal project so I’m interested in other’s solutions! I’m not working on it toooo hard. This is something I think some AI software tool might swoop in and solve before I can build something I’m happy with.
      • abound 2y ago
        News Minimalist [1] is one way, where it aggregates stories across outlets and uses LLMs to remove clickbait from titles. It also assigns loose 'scores' to each story to approximate how 'important' it is, which I've found to be directionally useful. Ultimately, it comes down to why one consumes news at all. If it's to have something to discuss around the water cooler or dinner table, that's a very different use case than someone trying to pattern match on world events for trading stocks or selling their wares. [1] https://www.newsminimalist.com/ https://www.newsminimalist.com/
• eeik 2y ago
  This article aims not for readers to merely absorb information; it's about experiencing the process of paying attention, which ties directly into the message. The style embodies the substance. The deliberate pacing, repetition, and reflective tone mirror the very practice it's encouraging. The text invites the reader to slow down, pay attention to each concept, and let them unfold naturally, step by step—much like how the author advises living life. Similar to knolling, it methodically arranges ideas and concepts in an orderly way, encouraging the reader to appreciate each in its own space. The writing is intentionally uncluttered, asking the reader to focus on the essentials, without rushing through or trying to grasp everything at once. The writing itself serves as an exercise in mindfulness, requiring the reader to approach it with the same careful attention that the author advocates for in life.
• bl0rg 2y ago
  [flagged]
  • billwear 2y ago
    that's the point: sometimes there is no tl;dr.
    • Lerc 2y ago
      There are however a great deal of things people can do to make the same information available to a wider audience. Formatting, fonts, colours, structure of argument, visual aids. Clicking [reader view] on this article aided me immensely in being able to take it in. As one of the many ADHD people who encountered this, the white on black, wide page, and a serifed font were all non-informational aspects of the page that made it difficult to take in. You are wrong that sometimes there is no tl;dr In the absence of someone putting in the work to make content accessible the emphasis merely falls upon the dr of tl;dr. No-one requires you to make things for everyone, but you cannot expect to reach everyone without consideration of them either.
      • johnnyanmac 2y ago
        http://bettermotherfuckingwebsite.com/ http://bettermotherfuckingwebsite.com/ or https://perfectmotherfuckingwebsite.com/ https://perfectmotherfuckingwebsite.com/ if you're feeling venturous. >You are wrong that sometimes there is no tl;dr In the absence of someone putting in the work to make content accessible the emphasis merely falls upon the dr of tl;dr. On a technical level I agree. >But how does one begin? It is not with grand declarations or bold, sweeping changes. That would miss the point entirely. Rather, it is with a gentle attention to the present, a deliberate shift in the way we move through the world. That's a pretty good TLDR right there. But on a cosmic level, I see nothing more ironic than asking for a TL;DR on how to take back your attention. Showing you have some interest in a topic but not enough to fully read it without shifting to yet another topic your brain runs you to. Thus failing the "gentle attention to the present".
        • 2y ago
• hall0ween 2y ago
  I like the message of the article overall. And I am skeptical when “liberation” and “freedom” are used when not clearly defined because where I am from (US) these words are thrown around flippantly. If I follow this approach of quietness and attention, will I be free from hunger (ie have food)? Free from fear (eg security from violence)? No, clearly not. There are other freedoms. Also, a left out item that we have direct access to sense, manipulation, cultivation: our bodies.
  • billwear 2y ago
    good points. the first could have been a better choice, or a better explanation. the second? that's a much longer piece about the three brains and how we integrate them.
  • joseferben 2y ago
    my read on it is that it’s liberation and freedom in a very buddhist sense. you won’t be free from hunger, but it may reframe our relationship with food so there is less compulsion and mindless consumption. it won’t take away fear in the face of imminent danger (that’s a good thing, we have to survive) but it may reduce background anxiety that’s present in our daily lives.
  • keybored 2y ago
    If I am free from a shackle, does that mean that I am free from hunger? Clearly not. Hmph, then why say that I am “free” from a shackle.
  • anonyfox 2y ago
    the concept of freedom itself kind of is hard even in a stricter context like politics. like, I cannot freely choose to do X today, because (iE: capitalism environment) demands me to do certain other things that bring in money to live comfortably. I could make a tradeoff somewhere, but that very tradeoff itself limits actual freedom. therefore to maximize actual freedom, we're looking at eliminating constraints that limit freedom, like the need to make money somehow, which would be a dramatic society change not everyone agrees to. its hard. and wonky. so everyone uses it only through a personal belief lense.
• mzajc 2y ago
  Well written! I can relate to most of the article. However, I find that > To focus on one thing deeply, to give it your full attention, is to experience it fully. And when we do this, something remarkable happens. Time, which so often feels like it is slipping through our fingers, begins to slow. doesn't really apply to me, or to many people I know and have worked with - it is when I focus on one task that "time flies", and it's distractions that end up throwing men out of the zone.
  • billwear 2y ago
    agree that the "clock of life" is a strange beast, when compared to the clock on the wall. i try to quit paying too much attention to the latter, and time becomes more nuanced and textured.
  • gchamonlive 2y ago
    Yeah, it's more like time taking a backseat than slowing down.
  • smith7018 2y ago
    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 cannot change right now, I should be present" then you'll be able to fully experience a moment in your child's life. So rather than feeling like life is passing you by, you're able to experience it in the moment. The surrounding sentences of the line you quoted don't read like the author's describing time like you are: "But in this process, we must remember something important: life is not meant to be rushed through. It is not a race, nor is it a problem to be solved. It is an experience to be lived, and living well requires presence. ... Moments become rich, textured. Even the simplest of tasks takes on a new significance when approached with care, with attention."
    • kukkeliskuu 2y ago
• d4mi3n 2y ago
  [flagged]
  • abc-1 2y ago
    [flagged]
    • aroman 2y ago
      I read no moralizing or grandstanding in GP’s comment. It’s a valid point - most humans on planet earth will experience some form of mental disorder in their lifetime.[0] [0] https://hms.harvard.edu/news/half-worlds-population-will-experience-mental-health-disorder https://hms.harvard.edu/news/half-worlds-population-will-exp...
    • deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    • eterpstra 2y ago
      You know, the entire point of this website is to comment on articles with our own thoughts, experiences, and opinions - even if it's moralizing and/or grandstanding. Can we stop discouraging comments in the comment section? It gets so tiresome.
    • d4mi3n 2y ago
      My intent was to point out that personal experiences differ and that things the article points out as given are not so given for everyone. My intent was not to moralize and I'm uncertain to what part of my original comment could be interpreted as a moral stance.
    • tikhonj 2y ago
      People largely understand that folks who can't walk can't walk. There is still a lot of moralizing around mental health and treatment. "ADHD is not a real thing, they just need to stop being lazy"/etc/etc. The two situations are simply not comparable.
    • jnovek 2y ago
      [flagged]
• joseferben 2y ago
  excellent article! one of my favorite books about this that i can not recommend enough is “the miracle of mindfulness” by thich nhat hanh.
• vonnik 2y ago
  Cognitive control is one of the most important issues of our era, IMHO: https://vonnik.substack.com/p/how-to-take-your-brain-back https://vonnik.substack.com/p/how-to-take-your-brain-back There are many techniques to increase our CC. The ADHD community is a trailblazer in this respect.
  • YossarianFrPrez 2y ago
    I used to think that once I started browsing the internet, it was time for a break. One technique I've implemented, which I haven't seen mentioned is "walking pomodoro technique": for every 25 minutes of work, I get up and take a brisk 5-min walk (or lately, a jog) and come back. One of the most surprising things is that by mandating my own breaks, I browse the internet a lot less.
    • greggyb 2y ago
      I suffer from RSI and definitely do not move enough when I am invested in some piece of work (personal or professional). I recently installed workrave[0] and have noticed marked improvements in just a couple weeks of actually taking breaks when it indicates. I take a 25 second break every 5 minutes, and use this time to do one hand and wrist exercise (I keep some resistance bands and hand exercise balls at the desk). I take a 5 minute break every 25 minutes. I will either do some stretches, or a quick chore (e.g. vacuum one room). https://workrave.org/ https://workrave.org/
      • guerrilla 2y ago
        This microbreaks idea is something I've come to myself. I noticed that when reading very difficult stuff (serious math or complex APIs) then I get to that point where I repeatedly read the same sentence over and over again. I realized that at that point I should be taking a break even before my usual 25 minutes is up. Maybe you 25s/5m would help me. I like the numerical aesthetics. It seems I wrote my own keycounter for RSI last year but I never added timers/lockouts. I'll have a look at this workrave. Thanks.
• tolerance 2y ago
  The mind is not the locus of peace and contentment. It is the heart.
• dirtyhippiefree 2y ago
  The power of Being (simply existing mindfully) as opposed to the Doing we feel compelled into. When you Are who you are, you will Do what you do, and likely find greater success because it comes from who you are, not what someone is telling you to do…
  • loa_in_ 2y ago
    It's a very hard topic to write or even talk about but what you wrote rings true.
• connectsnk 2y ago
  To the author : I find your article really insightful. I want to read more but I realize this article is not on your homepage. There might be more stuff that you have written and is unlisted. How can i find it all.
  • pkilgore 2y ago
    OP is in large degree one articulation of foundational mindfulness concepts that have been written about for centuries. What about the OP specifically appeals? Happy to point you at some other things if I can.
  • greggyb 2y ago
    I can recommend the Waking Up app. It has a well paced and well done introduction to mindfulness in a very similar style to the linked article. If interested, I can share a link for a free 30-day trial. I have no affiliation and get no kickback. It has simply been quite useful for me.
  • keybored 2y ago
    The Mind Illuminated is a book with a similar style.
  • dmje 2y ago
    I was reminded of my all-time favourite book on meditation / mindfulness: Mindfulness in Plain English by Henepola Gunaratana. The article had a similar style. Gunaratana’s book is full of humour and beautiful writing and I’d recommend it as a brilliant guide to anyone interested in this stuff.
  • billwear 2y ago
    i usually post here first, and then add to the homepage later. i'll fix that next couple of days.
  • scubbo 2y ago
    https://billwear.github.io/ https://billwear.github.io/
• mistermann 2y ago
  As much as I love the sentiment, these sorts of pieces (written or verbal) always contain contradictions, usually important ones relative to the claims.
  • keybored 2y ago
    These contradictions (?) may be rooted in the reader’s assumptions about the world: the writer says A and B, but to the reader B implies (not A) because of their world view. In short they might not be actual contradictions. This might seem very vague but a discussion on something so first-person as the mind is ripe for that kind of thing. Which is resolved with dialogue. If the contradictions are brought up.
    • mistermann 2y ago
      > Which is resolved with dialogue. If the contradictions are brought up. In my experience noting contradictions usually leads to evasive memes and anger/unhappiness.
      • keybored 2y ago
        Then mum’s the word.
        • mistermann 2y ago
          Cutting off access to an entire region of potential upward utility...perhaps permanently if no one is willing to fight the consensus.
          • keybored 2y ago
            I don’t understand what you are saying.
            • mistermann 2y ago
              Contradiction is socially disruptive, and ignored/policed quite thoroughly, denying access to Humans of pretty substantial portions of reality which is instead represented by illusory proxies/heuristics.
• dmje 2y ago
  This is a really great description of why a meditative practice is worth taking time on and also why it’s worth railing against todays constant attention deficit and lack of empty, quiet spaces, both mental and physical. Excellent writing!
• bansuian 2y ago
  The first paragraph reminds me of the following from The Joy Luck Club. It started to rain again, just a light rain. The people from downstairs called up to me once again to hurry. And my thoughts became more urgent, more strange. I asked myself, what is true about a person? Would I change in the same way the river changes color but still be the same person? And then I saw the curtains blowing wildly, and outside rain was falling harder, causing everyone to scurry and shout. I smiled. And then I realized it was the first time I could see the power of the wind. I couldn’t see the wind itself, but I could see it carried the water that filled the rivers and shaped the countryside. It caused men to yelp and dance. I wiped my eyes and looked in the mirror. I was surprised at what I saw. I had on a beautiful red dress, but what I saw was even more valuable. I was strong. I was pure. I had genuine thoughts inside that no one could see, that no one could ever take away from me. I was like the wind. I threw my head back and smiled proudly to myself. And then I draped the large embroidered red scarf over my face and covered these thoughts up. But underneath the scarf I still knew who I was. I made a promise to myself: I would always remember my parents’ wishes, but I would never forget myself.
  • deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
• oxqbldpxo 2y ago
  I'm grateful for this advice. Will put into practice immediately. Death being a certainty, it is difficult to determine what time is actually worth using for. From an individual perspective, religion and knowledge are part of a conceptual world that will end with death. If there's actually anything post-death, it has to do with what it is here being called attention. Something beyond memory and thinking.
• vunderba 2y ago
  It'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 over beautiful things? Why not linger and enjoy them?"
  • zozbot234 2y ago
    So you're saying that Attention Is All You Need? (badum tss)
    • bsbsjsusj 2y ago
      Yes, and if you want the verbose version, an LLM can generate that.
  • keybored 2y ago
    > It'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). I can see that.
    • hackernewds 2y ago
      The ornamentation I think is necessary to let the reader recreate something so ethereal to explain. Like a koan. It benefited me at least.
  • akoboldfrying 2y ago
    I still drift towards this overweening style myself if I'm not careful, which is probably why I hate it so much. I couldn't make it past paragraph 3.
  • Separo 2y ago
    Totally. Feels like a literary street performer.
• romesmoke 2y ago
  For a more elaborate, complete take on the value of attention, I can't recommend the work of Sir Iain McGilchrist enough.
• wwwater 2y ago
  Wow, great piece, thanks for sharing it! While reading it I was absolutely sure I've already heard it. For the first part I thought it's the transcript of the text they read in Vipassana retreat, and for the second I thought it must be from Alan Watts. But from the rest of the blog and from the comments here I understand that it's neither, and that it's just your thoughts. It reads really nicely, like a river. I also noticed that your previous blog's name (stormrider) is somehow similar to mine (cyclinginthewind) haha.
• alexashka 2y ago
  > And it is then, perhaps, that a subtle truth begins to emerge: the only thing we truly possess, the only thing we might, with enough care, exert some mastery over, is our mind Well, that's not true at all. When people make sweeping simple statements about matters that can't possibly be trivial - it makes me wonder how much most people resemble LLMs. I'm sympathetic to spiritual matters but the field is littered with people who are deeply confused.
• baxuz 2y ago
  > the only thing we truly possess, the only thing we might, with enough care, exert some mastery over, is our mind. And our bodies.
• carrotpuncher 2y ago
  I appreciate coming across writings like these. For me I easily forget to just chill out, one day I’m full of whatever mindfulness i gain from nowhere in a quick hit of inspiration then as quick as it came I’m back to step one lost, until I come across something like this.
• fzeroracer 2y ago
  I'm going to be That Guy and say I didn't particularly care for this piece. it reads like every single self-help or mindfulness book I've had the misfortune of skimming or having pushed down on me. That isn't to say I fully discount mindfulness but rather the art of people being able to say a lot about ultimately nothing.
  • johnnyanmac 2y ago
    really depends on your stage in life. If you see self-actualization advice but you are still trying to work 18 hours/day to pay rent and keep a roof over your head, this advice won't resonate as much compared to a well off a cushy tech worker who may still feel a bit satisfied with their life projections.
  • billfruit 2y ago
    Surprisingly the amount of praise it is getting here, consider how low on substance the post is.
  • keybored 2y ago
    It resonated with me. I am partial to the mindfulness idea. But that doesn’t mean that I like everything that it is written on the topic. Some pieces on the topic are a bit too opinionated on what exactly mindfulness and attention are. Too opinionated to be short pieces on it. But this one just says that you can be curious about what the mind does and observe that it has a mind of its own. Which is true in my experience. Your critique is fair of course.
• kvetching 2y ago
  I've found cannabis to be extremely helpful. It adds a tinge of paranoia - so if you're paranoid about not reaching your potential, it can kick you into gear.
  • ananth99 2y ago
    nah I found cannabis to be counterproductive in my case. It was never only a "tinge" of paranoia. It always comes up in bouts. And it was a slippery slope. I'd often keep getting distracted with other things like YouTube, games and social media to keep the anxiety and paranoia away. Took a while to kick it out.
• youoy 2y ago
  > Each small effort, each moment of renewed attention, builds upon the last. Over time, these moments accumulate, and what was once difficult becomes second nature. This! One thing is to find an oasis of attention from time to time, but the goal should be to fill it so that it becomes the sea, and that is extremely difficult (for starters due to the traps of modern attention seeking algorithms, but not only...).
• robwwilliams 2y ago
  Great article. The physics and neurophysiology of Nowness and attention are also complex. Toward the end of his life Einstein had a conversation with Rudolf Carnap (ca 1953-54): “Einstein said that the problem of Now worried him seriously. He explained that Now means something special for men, something essentially different from the past and the future, but that this important difference dies not and cannot occur within physics.” Einstein was still struggling with counterpoints made by Bergson in their famous 1922 debate on time and the meaning of duration. Neuroscience is just beginning to give us more insights into Now and I am reasonably confident that we will find solid (satisfying) physical explanations for human temporality (more so than those of Bergson, Husserl, and Heidegger). But this will not remove the personal mysteries of attention and being in the flow.
• Yacovlewis 2y ago
  Check out The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer. He talks about his discovery of and relationship with his inner voice / consciousness. He's also the tech founder of a public EMR startup. Super interesting read.
• thewanderer1983 2y ago
  Stoicism 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 dailstoic for a quick overview. https://dailystoic.com/what-is-stoicism-a-definition-3-stoic-exercises-to-get-you-started/#what-is-stoicism https://dailystoic.com/what-is-stoicism-a-definition-3-stoic...
  • maroonblazer 2y ago
    Buddhism explores these ideas too. For a modern approach to this mindset I highly recommend "Seeing That Frees" by Rob Burbea. https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/08772fe1-564c-4a95-9a5d-fc9d37a22c84 https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/08772fe1-564c-4a95-9a5d-...
    • samspot 2y ago
      I kept expecting a Buddhism pitch in the article. It reminded me so much of the opening premise of The Untethered Soul. I'm not too interested in Buddhism specifically, but I have been separating myself from technology more, and It's been great savoring the little moments I used to completely miss.
    • kn81198 2y ago
      Vipassana Meditation formalizes this to a large extent and is extremely approachable. I would highly recommend anyone looking at guided meditation to give this a try: https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/index https://www.dhamma.org/en-US/index
      • raveren 2y ago
        The single best decision of my life was to attend one.
        • 2y ago
• cassepipe 2y ago
  ... and the simple discipline of DE (Do Easy) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4Aio-lrVo8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4Aio-lrVo8 (Gus Van Sant's first short movie, definitely HN worthy)
• DrTung 2y ago
  In one of the stories of Sherlock Holmes he asks Dr. Watson how many steps there are in the stairs leading up to their door. Watson replies he doesn't know and Sherlock gives the exact number and says "You see but you do not observe". Sherlock Holmes seems to have read this article as well :-)
• rhincodon 2y ago
  Good read. For anyone interested in how to actually pay attention, Buddha taught mindfulness (Satipatthana in Pali) by focusing on four areas: Body, Sensations, Mind and Mental objects. https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Satipatthana https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Satipatthana
• revskill 2y ago
  Did smoking help on attention and make it a habit ?
• gwintrob 2y ago
  Great read. Reminds me of "The Miracle of Mindfulness"
• debit-freak 2y ago
  > There comes a moment in life, often in the quietest of hours, when one realizes that the world will continue on its wayward course, indifferent to our desires or frustrations. Is this not trivially obvious at all moments of consciousness? The assumptions here make no sense.
  • dtdynasty 2y ago
    It may be logically obvious but I don't think many people accept it and act with this in mind. Either due to emotionally not being able to accept it or because it's hard to apply to every decision.
    • debit-freak 2y ago
      I'm not sure what "logic" has to do with this, but I am confused why one would presume others share this mindset.
      • hackernewds 2y ago
        I share it, and I believe myself a logical being
  • Retric 2y ago
    “realizes” Your heartbeat is a constant 24/7 but you rarely notice it outside of moments of quiet contemplation. Same deal here, we’re really good at ignoring most things because we would be unable to function without blocking just about everything else out. Arguably a great deal of our economy is based around people actively trying to avoid actually contemplating anything deeply.
    • debit-freak 2y ago
      Oh absolutely, I'm just shocked at the idea the author would presume others feel this way too.
• curvingwave 2y ago
  I needed to read this
• bt1a 2y ago
  This is beautiful! It is how I look at mindfulness mediation, and I will use some of the clear writing from this piece when trying to convey it to others
• famahar 2y ago
  The best book I've read on attention and living in the present is 'The art of noticing' by Rob Walker. I like his approach because it's basically tons of small mindfulness activities baked into everyday life. You start intentionally paying attention to little details in the world more and it's like a flow of creative ideas to keep yourself in a state of wonder about everyday life. It's like being a child again. Seeing things for the first time and taking the time to appreciate them.
• divbzero 2y ago
  Social media, engineered for “engagement”, is the antithesis of the mindfulness described in OP.
• hp77 2y ago
  Very good article, I 100% agree on everything. It is in moments of desperation to complete more than one task and complete them early we forget that our mind doesn't work that way, really liked the whole essay. I think one should visit it from time to time to remind themselves. Not to nitpick on CSS but I had to add following styles to the webpage to read it comfortably: p { display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; margin: 0; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; text-align: center; max-width: 800px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; } maybe you can add them if you want. Again, Great article. Thanks.
  • winternewt 2y ago
    I just made my browser window narrower.
• WaitWaitWha 2y ago
  > And so, the journey to mastery of the mind begins not with grand gestures but with the simplest of practices: the practice of paying attention. Attention to the present, attention to what truly matters, and attention to the quiet spaces in between. In this way, step by step, thought by thought, we move closer to that elusive state of clarity, of peace, and of freedom. I abhor deepity, pseudo-profundity that provides no path for the average. Tell me, the dullard, what is the practical approach? How do I recognize or pay attention to the present? What does truly matter? Again, how do I recognize quiet spaces in between? Finally, how do I recognize state of clarity, of peace, and of freedom? What is the benefit to me and what are the steps for a simpleton to achieve said state?
• HellDunkel 2y ago
  Lets be honest. There is a grain of truth to be found here in an age of distraction. There is also a fair bit of distraction disguised in flowery of prose.
• shoaloak 2y ago
  Nice article, currently reading 'The power of now' by Eckhart Tolle which has essentially the same message, but with more depth and spirituality. Never considered myself spiritual up until now, as life definitely seems easier following the present path. Anybody with tips or exchanges with regards to Stoicism or other fields such as Bhuddism? I have the feeling it also has these concepts but I am very new with all this.
  • imp0cat 2y ago
    There's a couple of very well done videos on stoicisim on youtube - channel Philosophies for Life, ie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXOOcKnspVg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXOOcKnspVg
  • mattgreenrocks 2y ago
    Marcus Aurealius' Meditations is a good way to dip your toes in the water of Stoicism. It has a bit of pop culture sheen to it presently but the content is still quality.
  • adamc 2y ago
    Huh. I've read a number of books on stoicism and mindfulness/buddhism, but I've never gotten far with Tolle. He just falls flat for me.
• jankovicsandras 2y ago
  Isn't parts of this quoting or paraphrasing from the book "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" ? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tibetan_Book_of_Living_and_Dying https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tibetan_Book_of_Living_a...
  • billwear 2y ago
    haven't read that book, but it's not unusual since language is finite.
    • skrebbel 2y ago
      Language is finite in the same way as our supply of UUIDs is, ie, not finite at all in any practical sense.
      • asdftemp 2y ago
        attempt to interpret the parent comment more charitably: when different people who've shared a common experience try to put it into words, there is some consistency between what they write. the harder the experience is to verbalize, the harder it is to come up with meaningfully different precise descriptions of it, and the more aware you are of the limitations of language
• konschubert 2y ago
  Slightly OT, but I think they could have spent 10KB on some additional CSS limiting the line width.
  • Popeyes 2y ago
    Yes, I put my browser in reader mode, but then I tend to do that anyway if I am not scan reading a document.
• OkanBilal 2y ago
  Thanks for the thoughtful piece. It touched on some nuances of a topic I’ve been thinking about for some time. I’ve stopped reading the news for a while now. There are times I only catch up on big news, weeks after they happen. The media tends to mix the important and the irrelevant, often adding sensationalism to stories that don’t really matter to you, and an unguarded mind can easily fall for it. If something major happens, it’ll reach you eventually. Everything else is mostly irrelevant and just a distraction. Worrying about things we can’t control is a waste of our attention. While ideas are often exaggerated, actions are undervalued. Yet small, intentional actions are the key to mental well-being. Adding a simple 10-minute routine to a part of your day can naturally help structure the moments before and after that routine. I believe these small steps are essential for cultivating balance in one’s life.
• Popeyes 2y ago
  Pad this with seven chapters of waffle and you've got yourself a bestseller.
  • bdjsiqoocwk 2y ago
    Already exists, it's called "the seven habits of highly effective people".
• mettamage 2y ago
  I normally am not too annoyed by it, but I'm happy to know where the browswer tab is to add a quick margin: 100px; font-size: 20px; That was a bit too small and wide to read otherwise. Anyways, some comments on the content: Meditation helps to reclaim the attention. I currently meditate 1 hour per day on average and am definitely noticing my mind jumping anywhere and everywhere. I'm beginning to see patterns. One of the biggest patterns is that whatever I consumed for the last 2 or 3 days pops up in my mind as a thought much more often than I'd want. So whatever my inputs are, it's important. In that sense, I might want to consider doing an "input reset", i.e. just a week of mostly stillness before I continue my life.
• use_dea 2y ago
  what a great article
• rapht 2y ago
  Countless Buddhist books explore this in thorough detail.
• kleiba 2y ago
  Caveat: this is not about neural network architectures.
• subquantum2 2y ago
  [flagged]
  • kabouseng 2y ago
    I was expecting him to uncouple the horses from the carriage and continue his journey.
  • mfro 2y ago
    what
  • adamc 2y ago
    Wheels don't repair themselves, so the analogy doesn't really work.
  • dmazin 2y ago
    I can't find any citations for this, and it doesn't make sense. Is this AI slop?
    • subquantum2 2y ago
      I actually heard this allegory from someone years ago, but didn't know the source. So I asked ChatGPT where this allegory came from. I expected some title or so, nevertheless ChatGPT was not able to provide the source either. It's context is an Gnostic fable or allegory. Its pretty close ChatGPT come up with as I remember how it was told to myself.
      • fwip 2y ago
        "Yes, it is AI slop."
        • douglee650 2y ago
          In other forums this comment typically ends with the Undertaker throwing Mankind off a cage
• Separo 2y ago
  I 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.
  • xwowsersx 2y ago
    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.
  • PaulRobinson 2y ago
    I'm sad that you've never had singular moments in life that have caused fundamental reflection and re-evaluation of things you took for granted. I've had many. They're delightful, terrifying, hilarious, sombre, banal and life-changing, sometimes several of these at the same time. I didn't find the article particularly pretentious, or "self-scripture", whatever that may be. Perhaps dive in, reflect, and then ask after you've read the whole article whether it was pretentious "self-scripture" before assuming it is. As a heuristic, your current method seems a bit over-fitted to a false premise.
• focus3381 2y ago
  The 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.
  • mouse_ 2y ago
    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.
  • readenough 2y ago
    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.
• FrustratedMonky 2y ago
  I like it, but man, white on black text is really hard on the eyes.
  • imp0cat 2y ago
    The soothing colors of an open terminal window. ;)
• utkarsh858 2y ago
  Nice article, deep introspection and attention to moment have helped me a lot in experiencing life fully. Somehow I remembered this line from Gita: "For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy."
• desertraven 2y ago
  In regard to watching the mind, one thing I’ve observed is a little strange, and I was hoping to get other’s experiences. I like to watch the movement of my attention. Nothing abstract, just to observe where attention is aimed - it takes a mere 30 seconds of watching. What I’ve noticed, is it moves around, seemingly without my input, and lacking any conscious intent (a concept the blog post makes a point to reclaim). The light of attention shines throughout the physical scene, but it is sensorily multidimensional. It might move to the pain in my back, or the sound of the frogs, or the mug on my desk, a random memory, or more relevant to the article, the latest arising thought. I am watching this movement of ‘my’ attention, and yet I seem to be playing no part in the neither the objects of attention, or the movement of attention itself. This isn’t to say I cannot decide right now to move my hand in front of my face and observe it, but this arising of intention is itself mysterious too.
  • criddell 2y ago
    > I like to watch the movement of my attention I've never really liked the present-tense expression of this idea. If you are watching your attention, is that you directing your attention at your attention? Can you step back again and watch yourself watching yourself watch yourself? Or is it really a past-tense thing where you notice that your attention has drifted?
    • hammock 2y ago
      Isn't "watching the movement of my attention" another way of saying "being in the present"? To include body scans, etc.
      • rendx 2y ago
        I would say it is an exercise that can help you to achieve to be in the present more often, but to me, being "in the present" means I am not distracted by anything other than what I am focused on. The moment I also think about what I am focused on, I add a "meta level observer", thus I'm not fully present: I am no longer just in my experience of the presence, I am also in my thoughts, or already in a reaction to my experience. A body scan can serve this: by checking out everything that I feel and think, I can identify and address irritations that would potentially cause me to not be fully present later. Like a checklist. Safety? Check. Where am I in space and time? Check. Thirst, Hunger? Check. Need to go to the toilet? Check. Comfort? Check. Now, after all that and more, I can better aim to relax into being fully present, ignoring everything that would cause distractions, like thoughts. During the body scan however, I am not fully present.
• Yawrehto 2y ago
  I don't know if it's just me, but it feels like a very deliberate choice that this wasn't written in the easy-to-comprehend, easy-to-grasp style that's so prevalent online. It's harder. It requires, to some degree, even slightly, conscious effort to parse. It feels like the perfect union of form and content, at least given the constraints of it being online, which by its very nature encourages distractions, flitting from one thing to another, reading many things, comprehending none, constantly switching what we're doing. (I noticed this while reading that - the urge to read something easier, simpler, with more shiny attention-grabbing things. It's the first time I've seriously experimented with Google's reading mode.) But, of course, a print publication, better-suited to the form, would get much less traction.
  • zoeysmithe 2y ago
    I think this is the sort of pro-business new age junk "meditate to become better at work" that's purposely dressed up in rhetorical robes, no different than the religion many here have fled. I mean, this mind stuff doesn't really work if you're mentally ill, chronically stressed, worried about work/bills/relationships, chronically ill, stressed from caring for children/elderly, stressed from war/politics, oppressed, etc and I say that as a two decades long Buddhist practitioner and meditator. All this wavey-gravy stuff doesn't work without some type of moral framework. When he says "strength" what exactly does he mean? When he says 'life is meant to be this way' how can he possibly defend what life is meant to be? This is just a lot of empty nothings dressed up as important. What we do know is that we're animals evoloved from other animals that until very recently lived in smaller tribal groups or nomadic settlements, where our society saw innate value in us, had an extended family taking care of us, etc. Our modern life is the opposite of that. We're sort of shoved into the capitalist system, told to figure out a career and often after traumatizing 13+ years of schooling, then thrown into the job market, dealing with the pain of full time work if we can even get a steady good job which a lot of people don't, dealing with a system not invested in us but would love to get rid of us especially if we're costly, different, queer, minority, old, 'not competitive', not a good 'culture fit', neurodivergent, etc. So what do these essays really do? Not much. You will never revisit it. You will never bother because why? It doesnt fit your ethics or philosophy. Its empty pablum. Now if you built out values and said, "Productivity and business norms, as we know it, is actually bad and that's the cause of much of this pain, and we should be building frameworks, businesses, governments, and social norms to encourage downtime, rest, meditation-like activities, etc." Then yes, go for it, but be warned this will take you down a path where you'll be attacked for it for being anti-capitalist or socialist or whatever. Your friends, relatives, coworkers, etc you saw on your side will fight you. Your political party will label you a dangerous radical. So instead we get "just try to think like a zen buddhist to finish your TPS reports," junk like this, that very much ignores the elephant in the room. The world is on fire, its perfectly normal to feel stressed at that. Your stress is often valid and comes from a valid place. So like you said, its written in this 'spiritual master' kind of way to give it gravitas it doesn't deserve, to make it seems more important than it is, and to fool people into thinking they're the problem and their lack of "mind mastery" is the problem, instead of the system that causes all this pain. Why are you so worried, those are valid worries! Why do you rush through things? You're not given enough time! Why are you dealing with trauma and burnout? Because that's what our system leads to, especially for skill workers and other types of workers weighed heavily on productivity. "Mind mastery," is the new 'stiff upper lip' or 'skill issue' or 'quit complaining.' That is to say, its the new con to keep the status quo working as-is to benefit the few. You should be complaining and advocating for change that allows you more downtime, rest, "detigering" yourself, and such so that "mind mastery" isn't this ridiculous task but something that can start coming easier for us because we are then given the resources, time, cultural norms, and buy-in to achieve it. Look at how many retired people get into things like time in nature, slow burn experiences, writing novels, making art, meditation, contemplation, spirituality, a slow lifestyle, etc when before they are rushed and stressed 24/7. When we give people room, they will naturally gravitate towards stuff like this. We should be giving more room to the workers who haven't retired because they want this too and they won't get it via flowery essays, but via downtown, less work hours, better workplaces, better benefits, more social buy-in, more regulation that benefit the working class, valuing low stress and slower lifestyles, investment in mental health resources, medicine access for all, longer vacations, guaranteed long maternity/paternity, etc. If you're denied many of these thing all the 'mind mastery' junk in the world doesn't work. You'll just float between guys like this, books from Buddhists, books from Stoics, Sun Tzu, Toaism, New Age, secular humanism, theraputic models, various psychiatric drugs, etc and none of it will really work because the system isn't giving you the space and resources to actually become a "mind master" or whatever you want to call it. In fact, being a "mind master" may be a fool's errand, at least past a certain level of practicing meditation. Sad things are supposed to make us sad, hard things should stress us, vulnerable things should be said and respected for being said, etc. Being "above it all with no feeling" is a ridiculous maladaption to a harmful system. Yes, meditation and mindfulness are nice but they're a bandaid, and a lot of people, I'd say 99% of us, don't need bandaids we need surgery, that is to say, the system is injuring us faster than we can heal and at that point, the path to actual healing, having a relaxed mind, etc is systemic change, not these little essays that say very little, if anything, of substance. This is why people float from new age stuff and self-help stuff and back and forth and back and forth with new 'gurus' and 'truth tellers' and such discovered and discarded their whole lives and never get relief. This stuff doesn't work because their boats are filling with water faster than they can empty it. No flowery prose changes that reality. So if your skeptical meter is going off, this is probably why, and you're valid to question these narratives and their presentation.
• assadk 2y ago
  Related: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=891MOyYBadY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=891MOyYBadY
• pdr94 2y ago
  Just as the author suggests observing the mind's patterns without judgment, we often begin debugging by simply watching the system's behavior, setting breakpoints, and logging outputs. This initial observation phase is crucial for understanding the underlying architecture before making any changes.
• CompoundEyes 2y ago
  I have clinical OCD. The actual version not the thing people joke about. I will say because of that I am an expert on living in the moment. Why? Because when it flares up the compulsions result in a battle with attention on your thoughts second by second and wishing to be focused intently on something else so that level of attention has no space to enter. Might sound fun for a vacation but not a place to live. That’s why I’m a software engineer because I can get lost in something and reacquaint my mind with a baseline of attention to attention. If you want to truly slow time down and live in the moment exercise incredibly hard. Something like a grueling CrossFit workout can make it feel like ten minutes never took so long. Time slows down when each second is exhausting mental and physical anguish to keep your legs pedaling on an assault bike. I love it!
• navigate8310 2y ago
  Related to this topic is DṚG-DṚŚYA-VIVEKA, which inquiries about the ontological aspects of the mind.
• pvsk10 2y ago
  This article is only scratching the surface of a much deeper path. I highly recommend the book "Awake: It's Your Turn" by Angelo DiLullo
• gzer0 2y ago
  This was written beautifully. I needed to read something like this in a moment of pain I am going through. Thank you.
• photochemsyn 2y ago
  Situational awareness matters when it comes to claims like this: > "It is tempting, in moments of ambition, to think that we must change everything all at once, that the path to mastery or peace requires a sudden, dramatic shift. But this is rarely the case. In truth, most lasting changes come from small, deliberate actions." For people trapped in abusive relationships, drug addiction, or unsustainable economic positions, this is terrible advice - a dramatic shift is precisely what is needed. For those in stable situations where improvement by increment is entirely possible, this is great advice. The challenge lies in figuring out which is which.
• norshgaath 2y ago
  Hmm, reminds me of Krishnamurti teachings
• douglee650 2y ago
  Improved readability greatly by adding this css to the desktop version ``` background-color: white; color: #444342; padding: 16rem; ```
• TaurenHunter 2y ago
  The author seems to have drawn from - Buddhism's mindfulness - Taoism's natural flow/simplicity - Stoicism's control of own's mind - Mindfulness teachings from Jon Kabat-Zinn and/or Thich Nhaat Hanh - Cognitive Behavioral Techniques - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's flow states - Literature/poetry from Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson