Dr. Ellen Langer

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.

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.

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.

That means you're going to notice new things. That's an ugly little finger. And what is that line there? Why is this red? And when you're doing that, when you're actively noticing, the image stays still. So when we give people instructions in school, in focus, they think as a camera, hold it still.

That means you're going to notice new things. That's an ugly little finger. And what is that line there? Why is this red? And when you're doing that, when you're actively noticing, the image stays still. So when we give people instructions in school, in focus, they think as a camera, hold it still.

That means you're going to notice new things. That's an ugly little finger. And what is that line there? Why is this red? And when you're doing that, when you're actively noticing, the image stays still. So when we give people instructions in school, in focus, they think as a camera, hold it still.

And whenever we're trying to hold ourselves, the image, anything still, we're going to be performing suboptimally. We need to let things vary. Things are always changing. So what happens is we confuse the stability of our mindsets, we're holding something still in our heads, with the stability of the underlying phenomena.

And whenever we're trying to hold ourselves, the image, anything still, we're going to be performing suboptimally. We need to let things vary. Things are always changing. So what happens is we confuse the stability of our mindsets, we're holding something still in our heads, with the stability of the underlying phenomena.

And whenever we're trying to hold ourselves, the image, anything still, we're going to be performing suboptimally. We need to let things vary. Things are always changing. So what happens is we confuse the stability of our mindsets, we're holding something still in our heads, with the stability of the underlying phenomena.

Yeah, but it's not a practice. You see, once you accept that everything is uncertain, then you just tune in. You only don't tune in when you think you know. So if you were going to come visit me in Cambridge, you've never been to my house. You don't have to practice anything. You walk in, you'll notice things. Did she do that painting? What is that? Oh, look what she's reading.

Yeah, but it's not a practice. You see, once you accept that everything is uncertain, then you just tune in. You only don't tune in when you think you know. So if you were going to come visit me in Cambridge, you've never been to my house. You don't have to practice anything. You walk in, you'll notice things. Did she do that painting? What is that? Oh, look what she's reading.

Yeah, but it's not a practice. You see, once you accept that everything is uncertain, then you just tune in. You only don't tune in when you think you know. So if you were going to come visit me in Cambridge, you've never been to my house. You don't have to practice anything. You walk in, you'll notice things. Did she do that painting? What is that? Oh, look what she's reading.

There's two dogs here. Exactly, exactly. You'll notice. Mm-hmm. without having to do any work. And that's the important thing because in the way I keep differentiating mindfulness as I study it with meditation, meditation is a practice. For some people to sit still 20 minutes twice a day is work. Mindfulness as I study it is what you're doing when you're having fun.

There's two dogs here. Exactly, exactly. You'll notice. Mm-hmm. without having to do any work. And that's the important thing because in the way I keep differentiating mindfulness as I study it with meditation, meditation is a practice. For some people to sit still 20 minutes twice a day is work. Mindfulness as I study it is what you're doing when you're having fun.