Presence is far more intricate and rewarding an art than productivity. Ours is a culture that measures our worth as human beings by our efficiency, our earnings, our ability to perform this or that. The cult of productivity has its place, but worshipping at its altar daily robs us of the very capacity for joy and wonder that makes life worth living.
Interpretation
Being present in the moment is more valuable than simply being productive.
Maria Popova's quote emphasizes the importance of presence over mere productivity in our lives. It critiques a culture that equates human worth with efficiency and output, suggesting that this obsession with productivity can detract from our ability to experience joy and wonder in life, which are essential for a fulfilling existence.
In practice
During a mindfulness workshop, when discussing the importance of living in the moment.
Our chronic discomfort with ambiguity - which, ironically, is critical to both our creativity and the richness of our lives - leads us to lock down safe, comfortable, familiar interpretations, even if they are only partial representations of or fully disconnected from reality.
Presence is far more intricate and rewarding an art than productivity.
The world is not thy friend, nor the world's law. - Romeo
The whole life is a succession of dreams. My ambition is to be a conscious dreamer, that is all.
For a war to be just three conditions are necessary - public authority, just cause, right motive.
Every man [human being] is an heir to a legacy of dignity and worth
The Christian "doctrines" are translations into our concepts and ideas of that which God has already expressed in language more adequate, namely the actual incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection
If machines do everything well, including allocating capital and resources efficiently, can that be deflationary, can that eliminate poverty? I don't know. It's hard to be very optimistic if you look at how humans have behaved historically.
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