The quiet art of attention

I like the message of the article overall. And I am skeptical when “liberation” and “freedom” are used when not clearly defined because where I am from (US) these words are thrown around flippantly. If I follow this approach of quietness and attention, will I be free from hunger (ie have food)? Free from fear (eg security from violence)? No, clearly not. There are other freedoms.

Also, a left out item that we have direct access to sense, manipulation, cultivation: our bodies.

good points. the first could have been a better choice, or a better explanation. the second? that's a much longer piece about the three brains and how we integrate them.

my read on it is that it’s liberation and freedom in a very buddhist sense.

you won’t be free from hunger, but it may reframe our relationship with food so there is less compulsion and mindless consumption.

it won’t take away fear in the face of imminent danger (that’s a good thing, we have to survive) but it may reduce background anxiety that’s present in our daily lives.

If I am free from a shackle, does that mean that I am free from hunger? Clearly not. Hmph, then why say that I am “free” from a shackle.

the concept of freedom itself kind of is hard even in a stricter context like politics.

like, I cannot freely choose to do X today, because (iE: capitalism environment) demands me to do certain other things that bring in money to live comfortably. I could make a tradeoff somewhere, but that very tradeoff itself limits actual freedom.

therefore to maximize actual freedom, we're looking at eliminating constraints that limit freedom, like the need to make money somehow, which would be a dramatic society change not everyone agrees to.

its hard. and wonky. so everyone uses it only through a personal belief lense.