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From the point of view of the meditative traditions the entire society is suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that society as a whole is experiencing a lack of focus and mindfulness.

Jon Kabat-Zinn's quote highlights a societal issue where distractions and a fast-paced lifestyle prevent individuals from being present and attentive in their lives. By comparing this phenomenon to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), he emphasizes the need for mindfulness and the cultivation of attention in a world overwhelmed by constant stimuli.

Themes

MindfulnessAttentionSocietyFocusDistraction

In practice

Example use cases

During a mindfulness workshop, I quoted Jon Kabat-Zinn to illustrate our need for focus in a distracted society.

More from Jon Kabat-Zinn

Once you have established yourself as a center of love and kindness radiating throughout your being, which amounts to a cradling of yourself in loving kindness and acceptance, you can dwell here indefinitely, drinking at this fount, bathing it in, renewing yourself, nourishing yourself, enlivening yourself. This can be a profoundly healing practice for body and soul.
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One way to look at meditation is as a kind of intrapsychic technology that's been developed over thousands of years by traditions that know a lot about the mind/body connection.
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Meditation means learning how to get out of this current, sit by its bank and listen to it, learn from it, and then use its energies to guide us.
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Practice sharing the fullness of your being, your best self, your enthusiasm, your vitality, your spirit, your trust, your openness, above all, your presence. Share it with yourself, with your family, with the world.
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The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.
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In Asian languages, the word for mind and the word for heart are same. So if you’re not hearing mindfulness in some deep way as heartfulness, you’re not really understanding it. Compassion and kindness towards oneself are intrinsically woven into it. You could think of mindfulness as wise and affectionate attention.
Jon Kabat-ZinnRead

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