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andymanion2's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
kimball_hansen's review against another edition
5.0
Yep. Another really good book. This is my kind of topic too. I'm going to go out on a limb and conclude that Mindfulness is equivalent to Self-Awareness. It was interesting when I started this book two weeks ago they used the example of the 1982 flight that crashed by Florida because the pilots weren't mindful. They were just going through the motions. Anyone that has flown a plane knows the 50,000 things that are all happening simultaneously while flying. As I listened to that part I was actually driving to my own pilot's lesson...
Rated R.
This book was neat because a part of it discusses the effects of old age and how they (old people) don't have to suffer those effects that we enable a lot on them. What goes through your head when you think of getting old? You're going to be less mobile, more forgetful, weaker, a shut-in, etc. Did you know those are just purely self-fulfilling prophecies? Kinda like my grandma. Everyone tells her she is losing her memory and what does she do? She accepts it. Why? Because that's what happens when you get old. I'm not saying that one should never lose their memory at all but I can guarantee if all her relatives did what I do when I visit her (tell her she's doing great and not losing her memory instead of commenting on how forgetful she is, you know just positive reinforcement) then she'd be in much better shape. Imagine if all of us relatives said that. She wouldn't be losing her memory half as bad. "Oh you look wonderful grandma and you're doing so well!" She would believe that herself. I blame it on the women. Since they tend to be more self-deprecating anyways and in turn project it on others. Queue: Outrage.
If you ask old people hard questions that they need to find out or think about or if you motivate them to achieve something that will help them live longer. If you give people more of a reason to remember it can reverse memory loss. Example, when young teachers or students don't know what day it is in the summer. They don't have a reason to remember them because they are enjoying their summer where everyday is a Saturday, it's not because they are losing their memory. Let's think about this for a moment. Elderly people in the Olden Days were looked up to as wise and noble. Some cultures even today still do that, thankfully. They were given mindfulness training. They were looked up to for guidance and support. But what do we do with our old people today? Sit them in front of a TV, send them to a retirement home, and don't include them in important matters. We retire them from life which only sets them up for failure. No wonder the majority are in the state that they are in.
Much of what older people experience could be the result of negative stereotypes internalized in childhood. We do not know how many of the infirmities of old age are genetically programmed into our body. Positive mindsets about old age result in richer aging. If you have an optimistic mindset of old age you will be more alert and active in old age.
Again, this is just [b:The Secret|52529|The Secret (The Secret, #1)|Rhonda Byrne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1482865039s/52529.jpg|2001660] manifesting itself. How many times do I have to link that "silly" book to all these other great books?
But my real question is: Is it possible to be 100% mindful? Is that what some of the Tibetan Monks are? Or the Dalai Lama or that guy that made a hand print into solid stone in China? (See [b:The Power of Your Subconscious Mind|68984|The Power of Your Subconscious Mind|Joseph Murphy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386924010s/68984.jpg|2037992] for more info.)
This book had so many good experiments included in it. Just study after study. I loved it. One of these studies was about satisfying your curiosity and staring at someone different than you (like a cripple or someone with Down's Syndrome). Usually when that happens it's awkward. But when there is an outlet either by being allowed to look at it (like a bright pink cast on a leg) then you no longer feel uncomfortable around that person or thing and you can treat them normally. But haters are gunna hate and say you can't do that cuz you need to have empathy and treat them equally. Stupid because empathy has nothing to do with it. In fact, by being allowed to look at something different you are able to get control of yourself and be more Mindful instead of reacting because something unexpected caught you off your guard. I hate that people overplay the empathy card these days as if it is the magical solution to everything.
OK. I'm just going to jot down quotes and paraphrases that I thought were neat.
Emotions rest upon premature cognitive commitments. We think because they feel right they are true. We fail to remember that we had learned that emotion even if it was passively. You are taught that snakes are scary and sunsets are peaceful. A tune first heard a certain way sounds wrong if played differently later.
Our thoughts create context which determines our feelings. A different state of mind means a different state of body. When one can take ones mind off pain, It seems to go away.
The creation of new categories is a mindful activity. Mindlessness sets in when we rely too rigidly on categories and distinctions in the past. A narrow perspective can dominate our thinking. I guess it's kind of like labeling things/people (even though I'm a big supporter of labeling).
I have an outcome orientation instead of the process orientation. The process orientation asks how do I do it, instead of can I do it? An outcome orientation induces mindlessness. It reminded me of having a Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset in [b:Mindset: The New Psychology of Success|40745|Mindset The New Psychology of Success|Carol S. Dweck|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436227012s/40745.jpg|40330]. Keeping an eye on Process of the steps anyone must take to become an expert at something keeps us from disparaging ourselves.
There are no failures only ineffective solutions.
"As observers we judge behavior according to, whether as actors, we could or would do the same thing. Virtually all behavior can be cast as a negative or a more tolerable or justifiable light." The sentence structure was weird with this one but read it a few times, you'll get it.
The consequences of trying out different perspectives of people or environment are important 1) you gain more choice in how to respond. A single minded label produces an automatic response which reduces our options (this also increases our empathy). 2) When we apply this open minded attitude to our own behavior change becomes possible. One reason why people have a hard time changing behavior is because they really value that behavior but under a different name. However, that behavior has been spun in a negative light (rigid vs consistency, serious vs trust) so they don't really want to change it. A person thinks they are really consistent but another person says they are too rigid and need to lighten up. The person values consistency and doesn't think he should change, even if in reality he's blinded to his rigidity.
Boredom is just another Construct of the Mind no more certain than Freedom. There is always something new to notice. Maybe that's why Christopher Knight was OK with being alone in [b:The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit|30687200|The Stranger in the Woods The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit|Michael Finkel|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474560136s/30687200.jpg|51228990]. So mindfulness has greatest power.
A preoccupation with outcome makes you mindless. Dang it. I love outcomes, though.
If we fall into a routine rather than make decisions a new, we can get mindlessly seduced into activities that we would normally not engage in otherwise.
Divorced people who blame the failure of their marriages on their ex-spouses suffer longer than those who see many possible explanations for their situation.
We should never have a single-minded explanation of things. Awareness of the process of making real choices along the way makes it less likely that we will feel guilty in retrospect.
The opportunity to make choices increases our motivation - Although I would add only to a certain extent because then we reach [b:The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less|10639|The Paradox of Choice Why More Is Less|Barry Schwartz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410138134s/10639.jpg|1157840].
The opportunity to make choices increase our motivation (and mindfulness). But after a while choices start to get routine (picking the same thing to eat everyday) they need to be a meaningful choice. A way to be more mindful is to simply be aware of the other alternatives that were not selected (Oh, I didn't choose the bacon and eggs today and ate my crappy cereal like I do everyday because I'm a Millennial and I to have it).
Well meant protectiveness gradually undermines any autonomy. That's why helicopter parents are the worst.
Sometimes at work someone may suggest an idea and it is quickly shot down. For example, one of our many bosses won't let us normally take early/late lunches and we can't switch our 8-5 schedule. Why? Because then everyone would do it. Should unanimous desires for change lead to a new policy (Dumb bosses say no because if we let that happen then everyone would do it). Well, why not? Apparently there needs to be a change. It could even save the company money. I wish more people would consider that option instead of brushing it off.
Mindlessness is the application to yesterdays business solutions to today's problems. Mindfulness is atunement (sp?) to today's demands to avoid tomorrow's difficulties.
Rated R.
This book was neat because a part of it discusses the effects of old age and how they (old people) don't have to suffer those effects that we enable a lot on them. What goes through your head when you think of getting old? You're going to be less mobile, more forgetful, weaker, a shut-in, etc. Did you know those are just purely self-fulfilling prophecies? Kinda like my grandma. Everyone tells her she is losing her memory and what does she do? She accepts it. Why? Because that's what happens when you get old. I'm not saying that one should never lose their memory at all but I can guarantee if all her relatives did what I do when I visit her (tell her she's doing great and not losing her memory instead of commenting on how forgetful she is, you know just positive reinforcement) then she'd be in much better shape. Imagine if all of us relatives said that. She wouldn't be losing her memory half as bad. "Oh you look wonderful grandma and you're doing so well!" She would believe that herself. I blame it on the women. Since they tend to be more self-deprecating anyways and in turn project it on others. Queue: Outrage.
If you ask old people hard questions that they need to find out or think about or if you motivate them to achieve something that will help them live longer. If you give people more of a reason to remember it can reverse memory loss. Example, when young teachers or students don't know what day it is in the summer. They don't have a reason to remember them because they are enjoying their summer where everyday is a Saturday, it's not because they are losing their memory. Let's think about this for a moment. Elderly people in the Olden Days were looked up to as wise and noble. Some cultures even today still do that, thankfully. They were given mindfulness training. They were looked up to for guidance and support. But what do we do with our old people today? Sit them in front of a TV, send them to a retirement home, and don't include them in important matters. We retire them from life which only sets them up for failure. No wonder the majority are in the state that they are in.
Much of what older people experience could be the result of negative stereotypes internalized in childhood. We do not know how many of the infirmities of old age are genetically programmed into our body. Positive mindsets about old age result in richer aging. If you have an optimistic mindset of old age you will be more alert and active in old age.
Again, this is just [b:The Secret|52529|The Secret (The Secret, #1)|Rhonda Byrne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1482865039s/52529.jpg|2001660] manifesting itself. How many times do I have to link that "silly" book to all these other great books?
But my real question is: Is it possible to be 100% mindful? Is that what some of the Tibetan Monks are? Or the Dalai Lama or that guy that made a hand print into solid stone in China? (See [b:The Power of Your Subconscious Mind|68984|The Power of Your Subconscious Mind|Joseph Murphy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386924010s/68984.jpg|2037992] for more info.)
This book had so many good experiments included in it. Just study after study. I loved it. One of these studies was about satisfying your curiosity and staring at someone different than you (like a cripple or someone with Down's Syndrome). Usually when that happens it's awkward. But when there is an outlet either by being allowed to look at it (like a bright pink cast on a leg) then you no longer feel uncomfortable around that person or thing and you can treat them normally. But haters are gunna hate and say you can't do that cuz you need to have empathy and treat them equally. Stupid because empathy has nothing to do with it. In fact, by being allowed to look at something different you are able to get control of yourself and be more Mindful instead of reacting because something unexpected caught you off your guard. I hate that people overplay the empathy card these days as if it is the magical solution to everything.
OK. I'm just going to jot down quotes and paraphrases that I thought were neat.
Emotions rest upon premature cognitive commitments. We think because they feel right they are true. We fail to remember that we had learned that emotion even if it was passively. You are taught that snakes are scary and sunsets are peaceful. A tune first heard a certain way sounds wrong if played differently later.
Our thoughts create context which determines our feelings. A different state of mind means a different state of body. When one can take ones mind off pain, It seems to go away.
The creation of new categories is a mindful activity. Mindlessness sets in when we rely too rigidly on categories and distinctions in the past. A narrow perspective can dominate our thinking. I guess it's kind of like labeling things/people (even though I'm a big supporter of labeling).
I have an outcome orientation instead of the process orientation. The process orientation asks how do I do it, instead of can I do it? An outcome orientation induces mindlessness. It reminded me of having a Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset in [b:Mindset: The New Psychology of Success|40745|Mindset The New Psychology of Success|Carol S. Dweck|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436227012s/40745.jpg|40330]. Keeping an eye on Process of the steps anyone must take to become an expert at something keeps us from disparaging ourselves.
There are no failures only ineffective solutions.
"As observers we judge behavior according to, whether as actors, we could or would do the same thing. Virtually all behavior can be cast as a negative or a more tolerable or justifiable light." The sentence structure was weird with this one but read it a few times, you'll get it.
The consequences of trying out different perspectives of people or environment are important 1) you gain more choice in how to respond. A single minded label produces an automatic response which reduces our options (this also increases our empathy). 2) When we apply this open minded attitude to our own behavior change becomes possible. One reason why people have a hard time changing behavior is because they really value that behavior but under a different name. However, that behavior has been spun in a negative light (rigid vs consistency, serious vs trust) so they don't really want to change it. A person thinks they are really consistent but another person says they are too rigid and need to lighten up. The person values consistency and doesn't think he should change, even if in reality he's blinded to his rigidity.
Boredom is just another Construct of the Mind no more certain than Freedom. There is always something new to notice. Maybe that's why Christopher Knight was OK with being alone in [b:The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit|30687200|The Stranger in the Woods The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit|Michael Finkel|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474560136s/30687200.jpg|51228990]. So mindfulness has greatest power.
A preoccupation with outcome makes you mindless. Dang it. I love outcomes, though.
If we fall into a routine rather than make decisions a new, we can get mindlessly seduced into activities that we would normally not engage in otherwise.
Divorced people who blame the failure of their marriages on their ex-spouses suffer longer than those who see many possible explanations for their situation.
We should never have a single-minded explanation of things. Awareness of the process of making real choices along the way makes it less likely that we will feel guilty in retrospect.
The opportunity to make choices increases our motivation - Although I would add only to a certain extent because then we reach [b:The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less|10639|The Paradox of Choice Why More Is Less|Barry Schwartz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410138134s/10639.jpg|1157840].
The opportunity to make choices increase our motivation (and mindfulness). But after a while choices start to get routine (picking the same thing to eat everyday) they need to be a meaningful choice. A way to be more mindful is to simply be aware of the other alternatives that were not selected (Oh, I didn't choose the bacon and eggs today and ate my crappy cereal like I do everyday because I'm a Millennial and I
Well meant protectiveness gradually undermines any autonomy. That's why helicopter parents are the worst.
Sometimes at work someone may suggest an idea and it is quickly shot down. For example, one of our many bosses won't let us normally take early/late lunches and we can't switch our 8-5 schedule. Why? Because then everyone would do it. Should unanimous desires for change lead to a new policy (Dumb bosses say no because if we let that happen then everyone would do it). Well, why not? Apparently there needs to be a change. It could even save the company money. I wish more people would consider that option instead of brushing it off.
Mindlessness is the application to yesterdays business solutions to today's problems. Mindfulness is atunement (sp?) to today's demands to avoid tomorrow's difficulties.
drillvoice's review against another edition
3.0
lots of great points and ideas but could have less fluff
reads_romance_reviewer's review against another edition
3.0
The book focuses on Langer's studies on mindfulness. It is a good book but if you are looking for a book that will provide tips or techniques to be more mindful then this is not the book for you. What you will learn from her studies is how one should never rest on past experiences/old perceptions when you approach your life.
rwaringcrane's review against another edition
5.0
My daughter recommended this book about six months ago but it didn't grab me. Now I wonder what I was on. I've savored it over the past couple of weeks and I'm so happy I own a copy because I found underline-able wisdom in each chapter.
Langer's studies showed up in several recent reads including [b:Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End|20696006|Being Mortal Medicine and What Matters in the End|Atul Gawande|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408324949s/20696006.jpg|40015533], so I found myself smiling with recognition on occasion. With curiosity and insight Langer presents study after study revealing our unintened mindlessness and its farreaching and often dilitorious effects and the simple ways to move toward mindfulness and its notable benefits.
As I study and write about the ways healthy people move through change, intention is my by-word. Mindfulness, as defined by Langer, seems a perfect alternate word choice for intention. I'm sure I'll refer to this work again and again.
Here's the first article I wrote referencing Langer's wisdom.
Langer's studies showed up in several recent reads including [b:Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End|20696006|Being Mortal Medicine and What Matters in the End|Atul Gawande|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408324949s/20696006.jpg|40015533], so I found myself smiling with recognition on occasion. With curiosity and insight Langer presents study after study revealing our unintened mindlessness and its farreaching and often dilitorious effects and the simple ways to move toward mindfulness and its notable benefits.
As I study and write about the ways healthy people move through change, intention is my by-word. Mindfulness, as defined by Langer, seems a perfect alternate word choice for intention. I'm sure I'll refer to this work again and again.
Here's the first article I wrote referencing Langer's wisdom.
andystehr's review against another edition
5.0
This book changed the way I think about feelings and how I interact with other people. Simply superb.
iamacj's review against another edition
4.0
Such a shame I read this rather mindlessly - but I think I got the idea.