Dr. Ellen Langer

If you're using the base 2 number system, 1 plus 1 is written as 10. Oh, my goodness. Somebody asks you, how much is 1 plus 1? Should you say 1, 2, 10? And the point is that when you know you don't know, then you pay attention. In this context, let me see. I'll be a smartass and I'll say 1. Or in this context, I know the person wants me to be obedient and I'll say two, so on and so forth.

So when you don't know, you pay attention. When you pay attention, you have choices that otherwise you're blind to. It makes a very big difference. So when you're mindful, you don't know, you actively notice. As you're noticing, the neurons are firing and 50 years of research has shown that it's literally and figuratively enlightening. And if you're going to do something, show up for it.

So when you don't know, you pay attention. When you pay attention, you have choices that otherwise you're blind to. It makes a very big difference. So when you're mindful, you don't know, you actively notice. As you're noticing, the neurons are firing and 50 years of research has shown that it's literally and figuratively enlightening. And if you're going to do something, show up for it.

So when you don't know, you pay attention. When you pay attention, you have choices that otherwise you're blind to. It makes a very big difference. So when you're mindful, you don't know, you actively notice. As you're noticing, the neurons are firing and 50 years of research has shown that it's literally and figuratively enlightening. And if you're going to do something, show up for it.

Now, the problem is that most people are mindless almost all the time, and they're totally oblivious to it. When you're not there, you're not there to know you're not there. And most people are just not there. Now you want to ask me, how does that happen? Well, we're taught that. Schools, I think, are the biggest culprits. Schools are teaching us absolute answers. One plus one is two.

Now, the problem is that most people are mindless almost all the time, and they're totally oblivious to it. When you're not there, you're not there to know you're not there. And most people are just not there. Now you want to ask me, how does that happen? Well, we're taught that. Schools, I think, are the biggest culprits. Schools are teaching us absolute answers. One plus one is two.

Now, the problem is that most people are mindless almost all the time, and they're totally oblivious to it. When you're not there, you're not there to know you're not there. And most people are just not there. Now you want to ask me, how does that happen? Well, we're taught that. Schools, I think, are the biggest culprits. Schools are teaching us absolute answers. One plus one is two.

Virtually everything that we're taught is as if the world is constant and going to stay that way. And the answer today is going to be the same answer as tomorrow. And so that certainty leads us not to notice.

Virtually everything that we're taught is as if the world is constant and going to stay that way. And the answer today is going to be the same answer as tomorrow. And so that certainty leads us not to notice.

Virtually everything that we're taught is as if the world is constant and going to stay that way. And the answer today is going to be the same answer as tomorrow. And so that certainty leads us not to notice.

Let me answer you. Okay, so it's very funny. I'm glad in some ways I don't remember who this person was, but I started studying mindlessness. And I found myself, I'd walk into a mannequin, I'd apologize, you know, all sorts of things like that. And I'd say, well, this is kind of interesting to me.

Let me answer you. Okay, so it's very funny. I'm glad in some ways I don't remember who this person was, but I started studying mindlessness. And I found myself, I'd walk into a mannequin, I'd apologize, you know, all sorts of things like that. And I'd say, well, this is kind of interesting to me.

Let me answer you. Okay, so it's very funny. I'm glad in some ways I don't remember who this person was, but I started studying mindlessness. And I found myself, I'd walk into a mannequin, I'd apologize, you know, all sorts of things like that. And I'd say, well, this is kind of interesting to me.

I'm speaking to somebody, we don't know who it was anymore, who said to me, you know, you are what you study. I said, okay. So then I switched it around from being mindless to being mindful. At that point, then I found out about, I mean, meditation and Buddhism and all of this and started to learn about it. Another way of being.

I'm speaking to somebody, we don't know who it was anymore, who said to me, you know, you are what you study. I said, okay. So then I switched it around from being mindless to being mindful. At that point, then I found out about, I mean, meditation and Buddhism and all of this and started to learn about it. Another way of being.

I'm speaking to somebody, we don't know who it was anymore, who said to me, you know, you are what you study. I said, okay. So then I switched it around from being mindless to being mindful. At that point, then I found out about, I mean, meditation and Buddhism and all of this and started to learn about it. Another way of being.

What was exciting to me was that I had gotten through this Western scientific mode, so to speak, to many of the same consequences as the Buddhists had talked about for thousands of years.

What was exciting to me was that I had gotten through this Western scientific mode, so to speak, to many of the same consequences as the Buddhists had talked about for thousands of years.

What was exciting to me was that I had gotten through this Western scientific mode, so to speak, to many of the same consequences as the Buddhists had talked about for thousands of years.

Yeah, and a focus is actually mindless. So it's interesting. Focus on your finger. Now, if you're concentrating, focusing, what you're going to notice is that your fingers, the image is moving around. And so when we try to hold something still, that's the wrong thing. You shouldn't tell people to focus. Now, instead of focus, look at your finger mindfully.