In today's noisy world, what does it mean to be attentive?

It means reframing and filtering visual noise, as well. We are inundated with both literal and figurative signposts that veer us of an instinctive path to find quiet in all sensual forms. I think the question here is “How can we be attentive?” To harness time and space entails resistance. Mediation allows for flow and reclamation of that time and space.

Wednesday, June 23 at 4:15pm

To the points of re-framing and filtering, it seems that attention today is about choice. There are endless options, images, sounds, etc. all competing for our attention at every level, a bit like Times Square. I think that we have become good at absorbing large amounts of sensory input, and being able to prioritize those experiences and choose which ones are worthy of our attention is key.

Friday, June 25 at 3:55pm

Attention today is largely equatable with intention. With the rise of networked information and the information economy, moderns are under a deluge of more information than they can process, so it’s a matter of learning when to pay attention, and when not to. Most of us are still working on it, because the technology that enables us to fill our time with information is still quite young. Thus, I believe that today, attention and intention share a close relationship- we create our own priorities just by choosing what information to pay attention to, as Avinash notes. If it seems we have a noncommittal, attention-deficit, or inattentive society, I’d argue that this is because not enough people are talking about non-commercial information priorities or discussing the principles of information ethics. If we’re attention deficit in the information age, it’s because we have a deficit of priorities and restraints, and ultimately, a deficit of ethics.

Friday, June 25 at 4:04pm