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I'm surprised no one here has mentioned mindfulness (is briefly mentioned in the article).

It pretty much solves this problem.

But I guess that's part of the issue, is that the problem directly obfuscates the solution, so the problem remains prevalent.



There's also the problem that "mindfulness" is itself obfuscated to mean something specific about autonomy, individual power, and personal freedom. This is a problem because it assumes attention occurs within a fixed cultural and economic framework as an individual commodity that can be traded. It's very transactional.

The practice of attention beyond what the mindfulness movement has co-opted includes attention to the ethical and ontological structure underlying our experiences. It is subversive in the sense that deep attention requires questioning assumptions. That's something the purveyors of distractions would prefer to discourage.


I don't personally see that. What you're saying to me, feels like an interpretation of what you think mindfulness is.

Which is perfectly valid, it's just I've never personally associated mindfulness with any of the things you describe.


> I've never personally associated mindfulness with any of the things you describe

What is mindfulness, to you? What sorts of practices and contexts do you experience as mindfulness?


For me mindfulness is about being present and aware of myself (including my sensations, thoughts etc.) and my surroundings (arguably the same thing as myself, since we are the ones perceiving) in the present moment.

I genuinely don't go beyond that. Otherwise it overcomplicates itself, which is also when you then to lose it in the long term.

Being aware is the action. It's not a particularly complicated thing, in 99% of contexts it's about looking at things through a curious lens. Paying attention. Observing, without judging.

From an implementation point of view, I evaluate myself based on how mindful I managed to be during specific moments/activities during the day i.e. brushing my teeth, working etc.

I think where a lot of people go wrong is that they continue to evaluate their day based on what they achieved or what goals were met. That's one of the quickest ways to dissolve mindfulness and forget about it entirely.


I posted this after reading your comment:

Ask HN: Do you meditate? How? Results?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36854244




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