The most thought-provoking thing in our thought-provoking time is that we are still not thinking.
What does it mean to think?Is it possible to be conscious and not to think? if mindfulness is described as “paying attention on purpose,” how often are you paying attention to your thoughts? The average human is said to have thousands of thoughts a day. I think it is important to think about the thoughts. How often do you question and critically examine your thoughts and not just believe the random thoughts that pop into your mind?
4 responses to “Thinking about thinking”
I tend to think of “thinking” as actually engaging with our thoughts, not just having them. Being aware doesn’t feel like enough if we never question what shows up. Mindfulness helps create a pause, but real thinking, to me, is choosing which thoughts to look at more closely and which ones to let pass. I mostly try to do that with thoughts that have real-life impact, since I have a lot that don’t
There is so much to think about that I sometimes sort thoughts out and talk to myself out loud. That’s when Immortal Pirate asks, “What???” My thought wasn’t anything that would interest him, but he makes me repeat it twice. Stupid thoughts like, “Damn! I spilled coffee down the front of my shirt and I need to go get the mail.” Immortal Pirate is wondering why I needed to tell him that? It is because I was talking to myself and he wanted to know what I said. Sometimes, I am talking to the cat. Thoughts help you sort out what you need to do and what catches the mind’s interest from your surroundings and the TV.
@ladybarbara I have read that it is actually really good for you to talk to yourself!
@Scarlett2 It’s when you forget to listen and have to ask yourself to say that again.