Mindful Self-Acceptance? Bad Idea According to Ancient Chinese Philosophers. | Michael Puett

Mindful Self-Acceptance? Bad Idea According to Ancient Chinese Philosophers.
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Asian philosophies have proven extremely influential in the United States, but are they being interpreted correctly? Frequently not, says Harvard China historian Michael Puett, who focuses on two main ideas in this video: one transported relatively recently to the United States, and another that sheds new light on the so-called naturalistic fallacy.
First up is mindfulness meditation: a practice that has become all the rage for anyone looking to live calmer, more focussed lives. It sounds innocent enough, says Puett, but the goal of distancing yourself from negative emotion presents real risks. If you find a way to cope with negative emotion without changing the material circumstances around you - focusing on internal sources of stress to the exclusion of external ones - you may begin to accept harmful treatment.
This is likewise the case with "finding your true self," which Puett claims is little more than accepting your circumstances and normalizing potentially destructive patterns of behavior. When we search for ourselves, we search for some authentic, natural self. But putting nature on a pedestal ignores the very real call to action that Chinese philosophy presents.
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MICHAEL PUETT:
Michael Puett is the Walter C. Klein Professor of Chinese History in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations and Chair of the Committee on the Study of Religion at Harvard University. He is the author of The Ambivalence of Creation: Debates Concerning Innovation and Artifice in Early China and To Become a God: Cosmology, Sacrifice, and Self-Divinization in Early China, as well as the coauthor of Ritual and its Consequences: An Essay on the Limits of Sincerity. In 2013, he was awarded a Harvard College Professorship for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Michael Puett: Mindfulness is one of the big ideas that’s come in from Asia that’s had a huge impact on America, and basically the idea of mindfulness as it’s practiced in America is one of teaching one to accept one’s feelings. If one feels anger or jealousy, just sort of distance oneself from it, and the goal is to allow one to move through the day not being so taken up by these negative emotions. That seems very powerful but of course the danger of such an approach is that it’s really teaching us not to make any fundamental changes in our life. It’s simply teaching us to accept, and not be so bothered by things, as they occur.
Now Chinese philosophers will, on the contrary, push strongly that, "No, you actually don’t want to be too comfortable with the world as it is, or with interactions as they are or with things you’re doing as they currently are being done." They would say, "Oh no, you should actually be training yourself to respond in ways that can actually affect situations for the better - alter your relationships that really alter the situations you’re in." And I would even add mindfulness, as it was originally practiced, was actually much closer to this idea. It’s really in America that it’s been turned into a kind of acceptance mantra. Whereas a lot of the Asian philosophies - and this is certainly true of China as well - the focus really is on altering, changing. Changing yourself. Changing your actions. Changing the world in which we exist.
We tend to love the idea of nature. We tend to think that our problem as humans is that we’ve become too artificial, and that we should return to nature in some way. Either return to nature as it exists outside of us - so it means taking a nice walk in a park on a weekend, for example - or returning to our nature within ourselves. So to really stick to who we are, who we fundamentally are, our basic nature that we’re born with, things we’re gifted at doing and really focus on who we naturally are meant to be. Xunzi would argue that both of these visions of nature are actually potentially dangerous.
First of all, let’s begin with the self. The self, sure we’re born with lots of things, but Xunzi would say we’re born with a lot of messy things...
Read the full transcript at bigthink.com/v...

[@bigthink]

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[@ryanm7263]

Mindfulness is about learning how to refrain from becoming hooked into thoughts and feelings as they arise; to acknowledge and become aware of them, and to act from that awareness as opposed to reflexively. It's far from the lazy acceptance described here, and is in fact the opposite. It is a discipline which affords us an entire dimension of control over human wellbeing.

[@NoobTube4148]

+Ryan MacFarlane I agree. Michael Puett comes off miss informed here. Mindfulness is often taught and used to stop oneself from reacting in negative ways that lead to negative actions. That's the most powerful part. The ultimate goal of mindfulness as the Buddha taught is, to keep that going in a direction that leads you to your own liberation. It's not meant as a way to not care about anything that happens. You could do that if you really wanted to, but it doesn't stop at that. So framing it in such a way as a tool that allows you to be lazy, IMHO, is just wrong. Unless of course, that's how the Chinese philosophers saw it up until some time and then they course corrected. In that case, Michael Puett may not be misinformed, but his sources and framing of the subject stem only from one place.

[@ryanm7263]

Noobtube Account Yeah, Buddha taught mindfulness as a means to untangle oneself from confusion and negotiate with reality as it just is. Rather than impulsively grasping at things we like and impulsively retreating from things we don't, mindfulness training allows a person to make clear, considered choices about how they think, speak, and act. Mindfulness training puts a person firmly at the helm of their life, and equips them to navigate their experience wisely and compassionately. Mindfulness training enables a person to detect indolence, evaluate its causes and effects correctly, and dislodge themselves accordingly. If anything, mindfulness training is an _opponent_ to laziness of body, speech, and mind, and functions to undermine it. There is this notion that meditation is about tuning out from the world and relaxing into some hypnotic state. Mindfulness being a form a meditation, it's easy to suppose that's the aim. Some forms of meditation are susceptible to that misapplication, and some are even taught that way, but Buddha taught the exact opposite. Indeed, mindfulness meditation requires hard work and constant effort to produce constructive results.

[@jpoconnor2857]

Essentially mindfulness to me is to be aware of what the five senses are experiencing + " mind" ie. the 6th sense.

[@spuriouseffect]

This is why new age people are so schizo. Fret about what I put in my body, fret about my spirituality, fret about which way is the right way. OMG this or that changed my life, you have to try it.... until next week when we are trying something different. LOL. Just live your life and get over yourselves. There will be plenty of time for meditating when you are dead.

[@dogodeburdeos6180]

@@spuriouseffect Sometimes your life is so fucked up that you cannot live it in its current natural direction. Sometimes you have to invest time in taking control of it. Then maybe you can start living that time you have until death in some sort of way that could be called "living".

[@Spanky00Cheeks]

(Improve yourself) >> (find/accept yourself)

[@1simo93521]

exactly!

[@AdaptorLive]

+Dave Snipes : How do you know what to improve if you don't know who you are? IMO your comment would make more sense if it was reversed, with an arrow looping back around from the second part to the first :)

[@joshsatterwhite1571]

+AdaptorLive I don't think it's an arrow, I think it's a 'greater than' symbol. As in "Improving yourself is better than accepting yourself". I may be wrong, though, it's just what I though when I first saw it.

[@AdaptorLive]

+Joshua Satterwhite : Ah, yeah. Those greater then symbols don't really make sense in what I wrote. Just tried to say that it 'should' be a loop of accepting and improving :)

[@lemoncc2994]

tons of people don't know who they are and they are simply following the medias and other people. don't you think find yourself and improve yourself can be the same thing?

[@wbzyy]

As a professor of Chinese language literature, I tried very hard to seek evidence to support what this professors proposed about Confucius. As someone who was born near Confucius's hometown, I read the Analects of Confucius many times and memorized the entire book in college, but am still confused about where exactly he mentioned about "altering your ego". It seems to me that this professor tries to interpret Confucius in a way appealing to western students. Or maybe morality itself (one of Confucian ideals), can be explained as "bettering yourself".

[@junli6065]

How about you try reading the other two books that he wrote, buddy? The Analects was one out of three, remember? It’s just a lecture/dialogue record of his conversations with his students. 😂😂😂There’s also Da Xue and Zhong Yong

[@ravenswood118]

Self acceptance and self forgiveness does NOT mean you do not try to improve.

[@insu_na]

+playandrepeat The right answer is of course Mindless Self Indulgence. :P

[@merinsan]

+playandrepeat It kind of does. If you are trying to improve yourself, it means you don't accept yourself.

[@danielappleton5067]

+alex li Accepting one's nature & looking for ways to improve is something I could live with. Self - acceptance followed by stagnation sounds almost like " living death " or stasis.

[@ravenswood118]

***** You're not exactly a zen being, aren't you. No, I can try to improve, with a sense of acceptance and forgiveness for self in regards to the past. That's how I try to live.

[@merinsan]

+playandrepeat I'm pretty zen actually. I'm also rational and understand contradictions.

[@iainmackenzieUK]

I always thought mindful acceptance and increased experiential awareness was the first step to change and growth.

[@prianthagovender649]

100%

[@aleyac]

It is

[@maggieadams8600]

I thought that mindfulness was all about being in the moment, and so, being aware. Not necessarily of accepting things as they are, but being aware of them as they are, rather than acting on a subconscious level without any awareness of reality in the moment. You can only really improve if you can see yourself honestly and truly, and you can only do that by being mindful. No one is saying that we should or even can stay the same, because it's impossible.

[@locutusdborg126]

I did not find the speaker's argument very persuasive. First of all, because Chinese put forth ideas thousands of years ago does not mean that they are true or valid. Secondly, his definition of mindfulness does not correspond to that I was taught, which is about being more in the present, not accepting personality flaws.

[@TankTaur]

Exactly! Mindfulness is about awareness; I cannot recall being taught to simply tolerate/ignore pain caused by outside factors and accept my situation. Nor do I recall simply remaining "the same" or finding some kind of "natural" me. In the books and courses I've taken part of, there was a lot of encouragement to always improve yourself and your environment, to be helpful, diligent and understanding, and visualize and work for a positive, enlightened future. There was also a lot of focus on the awareness of the impermanence of all things, meaning change is an inevitable aspect of reality. Maybe the guy in the video is contesting the values of "cheap" and incorrect mindfulness teachings?

[@danilovegap]

His premise about what minfulness tries to achieve is wrong, so the rest is a straw man.

[@thirtythreeflavors]

Danilo Vega this.

[@Solbm27]

Danilo Vega Exactly.

[@kiml.1565]

Thank you, that is exactly what I came to the comment section for.

[@marklesniak8038]

Yup.

[@steveoh9025]

yes, thank you.. speaker has a fundamental misunderstanding of the practice of mindfulness

[@meatwise]

Semantics. 'Self-understanding' is a more accurate phrase than 'self-acceptance', which implies no need to change.

[@impalabeeper]

+Sky Daddy I agree but I suppose it depends on the context. Say if you are going to change just to be popular in school and do "cool" things like drugs, smoking etc. simply to be accepted, that is not being authentic.

[@PazLeBon]

+impalabeeper altho people authentically like to be thought of as cool

[@impalabeeper]

Medical Cannabis Spain If doing something that makes one uncomfortable but does it anyway to appease someone for the wrong purposes, I wouldn't call that being authentic (to one's self that is).

[@PazLeBon]

+impalabeeper I didn't mention someone being uncomfortable :) sometimes the end gain is worth more than the short term pain tho, so being cool might be considered worth it to some as that is what they wish to achieve. also its clear that we learn from mistakes and being uncomfortable, with discomfort one doesn't know comfort I guess

[@cperez1000]

+Sky Daddy , that's because self understanding and self acceptance are different concepts

[@HannesRadke]

Finally! Life never should be about just being a passive doormat, like so many of these gurus seem to promote. It's a slave mentality for a population utterly enslaved.

[@GirtheAlienGoldfish]

+Hannes Radke I bet you think you're some sort of free-thinker, huh?

[@HannesRadke]

GirtheAlienGoldfish I'm actually sympathetic to stoicism and zen. Nothing more relaxing and more contributing to peace of mind than meditation practices. But there is a crucial point, where I think zen is leading towards in it's best interpretations. It's being critical of authority. Which lead to quite some zen priests being targeted by political figures, commanded to commit suicide or something alike (Senecas fate too, coincidentally). All too often meditation and spirituality is misused as a tool to create people who just smile and endure.

[@RipleysSanatorium]

+Hannes Radke 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@octopusonfire100]

+Hannes Radke How can you react properly to a situation if you can't even be aware of it? Also, what does awareness have to do with being passive?

[@HannesRadke]

Do not Question Authority I began with making a sweeping generalization, so I'm in a bad place now XD Awareness per se is absolutely essential, no question. It's the human bodys method of adjusting action. The question is what you're trained to be aware of. How much do you stretch your awareness? Are you aware of only your body, your thought processes, emotions and employ techniques to adjust these? Just to better fit the machine you're part of? Are you aware of your wider surroundings, what could and should be? Are you aware of wider ethical questions, justice and injustice, triumph and suffering? That is what I am thinking about here. Being keenly aware of the wholeness of the human condition can provoke laughter at persons of authority and power, who carry their fetishes with blind pride, like children. Which in turn can provoke their violence, if they become aware of the futile nature of their sources of pride.

[@MusixPro4u]

This gentleman is referring to *confucianism*. Saying ancient chinese philosophy equals confucianism is just incorrect. Let's not forget Laozi who was the exact opposite on the spectrum of doing things to change oneself / the environment. Laozi basically says we should stop trying and let things emerge naturally. One-sided argument.

[@christianhansen2569]

"A bowl is most useful when it is empty."

[@TheSlaight]

+Christian Hansen "Laozi, I don't mean no disrespect, but you need to fill your bowl up with some shit that makes some sense."

[@christianhansen2569]

+TheSlaight XD

[@ElephantMen]

The key being to accept oneself as a process and not as an static object. That way you can you go with the flow and accept your circumstance whilst not accepting it as a final destination. Essentially, living in the ever-shifting "now".

[@cuckoophendula8211]

Technically, the philosopher Xunzi he is referring to is a *legalist*. I remember that learning about Xunzi's philosophy (that humans are born bad) is a natural counter to the Confucianist Mozi's philosophy (that humans are born good).

[@ernststravoblofeld]

This must be a totally different mindfulness meditation than I practice. There's really nothing about nature or self acceptance in it. It is about being aware of the present moment without commentary.

[@elokubano]

The man will not blink. Not once.

[@Strr27]

ha! I saw him blinked once

[@jrcenina85]

+Yosia S stimulants are popular in the academic world (?)

[@jrcenina85]

+0 Subscribers did you really spend your time looking for just....one ....blink? Gold star to you! Heck--employee of the month! (note: those suggested prizes should not be taken literally as the OP's comment shouldn't be taken literally...)

[@jrcenina85]

+0 Subscribers awesome

[@seamuscallaghan8851]

I read this comment, scrolled back up to see for myself, and immediately saw him blink. What are you on about?

[@kokofan50]

Thank god for someone talking about ancient Chinese philosophers that isn't talking about Sun Tsu or Confucius.

[@TreDogOfficial]

This "big think" is merely semantics. He says that acceptance means you probably won't make any fundamental changes in your life. True inner acceptance doesn't mean you don't change anything; it means you are one with the situation. You can still change your behaviour and accept the situation. For example, if you trip and fall you can still accept the fact that you fell. Through that acceptance you get back up and continue on with your day. You can also accept the possibility that you might need to change your behaviour so that you don't trip and fall in the future, maybe tie your shoes tighter. Acceptance doesn't mean once you fall you just lay there for the rest of your life. That is a misunderstanding of true inner acceptance. Conversely, if you cannot accept the fact that you fell, and you tell a story in your head about how you're a failure, then you are not accepting the situation and are poisoning your mind and body with negativity.

[@danielwiebe2123]

+Trevor Doge Very well said.

[@JoeMcKenzie888]

+Trevor Doge And this mindfulness bullshit is merely semantics as well. What is negativity? All feelings and thoughts are valid, it´s a kind of psychological fascism to dismiss "negative" feelings imo.

[@metaman1982]

+Trevor Doge But the semantics here are not so mere because the wisdom depends on the right understanding. How much suffering and negativity have humans generated because they misperceived or misunderstood the meaning of something? I think it can be agreed: a lot.

[@TreDogOfficial]

+Leyla Sousou and you are certainly entitled to your opinion. But I would debate that this "mindfulness bullshit" is beyond opinion, beyond semantics. Ultimately yes, "negativity" is equally as valid as any emotion. What we may deem to be "negative" is only relatively so. A situation may appear negative to our thoughts & mind, but it may be a lesson in disguise. However, acceptance - true inner acceptance, is not about submitting to bad stuff. There is vastly more to acceptance than is being given credit for in this video. At the core of acceptance lays consciousness. Now that's a word that new-agers have perhaps beaten to death, but I'm the type to beat a dead horse - so excuse me. Consciousness is beyond subject-object relationship. There is no way to empirically prove its existence. Scientists will never find the source of consciousness because the consciousness looking for it, is it! Acceptance is not about pushing away bad stuff, or even submitting to it. Acceptance is being aware of it. From your awareness, creative solutions begin. There is sort of benevolence that is brought into this world with awareness and that's what we call acceptance. It is being the space for the good and the bad. The mind is still free to operate. It can still devise solutions to problems, but you as the conscious entity are not bound to making the error that you and the thought or opinion are necessarily one and the same. Therefore you are less likely to be stressed by your mind. This is enlightenment.

[@TreDogOfficial]

+Larry 5000 I'll give you that. Certainly the presenter has a valid point, in that, there are some people who misunderstand spiritual teachings. Some people mistake their apathy for acceptance. Others will even become violent for their belief systems. Both are insane. But what I needed to address is how acceptance has deeper meaning than his argument would lead one to believe. If people only got one side of the story they might not ever get to appreciate true spirituality. That would be unfortunate.

[@madvolleyball95]

you have to know and accept where you are at, you have to have an understanding of your weaknesses so you know what you need to improve. I think there should be a balance for appreciating the past, being in the moment (and not rushing change) but also directing yourself to a future you want for yourself and the world

[@octopusonfire100]

As I understand it, mindfulness means distancing yourself from your train of thought and being aware of the present moment. That has nothing to do with self acceptance or going back to nature. Taking the same example of the video, if something makes you angry because it brings up some kind of thoughts that trigger a bad response, a violent behaviour or an unpleasant reaction, distancing yourself from your train of thought can help you seeing it from a different perspective without getting entangled in the web of thoughts your brain is creating. This can help you identifying what's actually going on and reduce its impact on your feelings over time. This can help you improve how you react, free yourself a little from the useless heated up, instinct, *natural* response, and stop the domino effect that it has on your body and the world around you. I'm not american so I don't know what's the latest trend over there. I also have a limited knowledge about mindfulness. I just take what works for me and move on. But I've never seen any of this "going back to nature" concept in it, so to me it sounds like a big misrepresentation. The only concept I've heard over and over again is "be in the moment". Not "be one with nature", not "find your true self", none of that. Just don't let your actions be influenced by the constant mumbling in your mind, let them pass through, because they're ultimately useless. As I said I'm no expert so if anyone has different examples I'll be glad to take a look. Ofc there's a time to think and a time to act, and both are equally important, but when it comes to act, the brain should be ready to react, not busy managing a hurricane of a million thoughts going back and forth inside your head, establishing a fictional dialogue with yourself that ultimately would just distort the reality that is happening in front of you, instead inside your head.

[@chrisgewirtz5875]

+Do not Question Authority This video is about differentiating two definitions of mindfulness, one about noticing and one about returning. The speaker claims that the "returning" definition is actually not what the original describers of mindfulness meant (they meant noticing), but still some of us use a "returning" definition.

[@superpartes4990]

My experience is that keeping a balance between self-acceptance and self-criticism is really important. One doesn't grow by indulging oneself and accepting all negative aspects of life. One doesn't grow by hating oneself and seeing problems anywhere either.

[@LeonidasGGG]

"Being yourself just gets in the way of your better self." - someone said.

[@lemoncc2994]

i think the true self could mean the better version you truly want yourself to be, but not the ego mind. because we want to be better and chang things from the bottom of our hearts. this vid which is using ego to refer to the true self.

[@whiskeytom4847]

+童治國 and you didn't need a whole video to explain that

[@raiden490]

yes was thinking the same thing. true self is pure awareness unlimited. not the mind with birth templates

[@TrustInTheUniverse]

amen

[@TrustInTheUniverse]

+kazume sinha amen

[@CalumnMcAulay]

Your concept of the self as lure awareness unlimited still requires a mind so the logic is flawed.

[@CCPJAYLPHAN1994]

WOW, you guys really don't understand mindfulness. it's not about passiveness, it's not about stopping improvement. By criticizing mindfulness in these comments, I would like to say. Good luck finding happiness in life then.

[@porcupineracer2]

+CCPJAYLPHAN1994 It's mainly a problem of getting lost in translation. Not so much as poor translation, which does happen, but learning about the concept through other people instead of interacting with it firsthand sources. Don't give up all hope yet.

[@dawaigocha]

He's saying that Eastern philosophy is more about improving yourself rather than accepting what's innate. I feel like this generalization is problematic. For example; a core part of many Buddhist paths is that we are naturally pure, we all have Buddha nature. He's saying that Buddha nature is really just habitual tendencies which is in direct conflict with a lot of Eastern philosophy. Acceptance doesn't equal distance. Acceptance equals awareness and insight and insight breeds change. One cannot change what one doesn't understand/accept. One of the most powerful methods is for a person to have self compassion (acceptance) towards those "bad" habits, combined with insight, in order to really change them. This is the purpose of mindfulness meditation, to allow deeper insight and insight is a cause of change. "Don't return to nature." -- Something I wouldn't agree with. The premise is that we're flawed (almost like the "sinners" concept) but just like a park is filled with authentic nature, from the ground to the birds, we are part of something innately pure. Maybe his approach can benefit people with their habitual tendencies but overall it seems hollow, all while utilizing cut-shots to toy with the senses.

[@rhyothemisprinceps1617]

If I had understood true self years ago and lived my life accordingly, a lot of bad sh-- would have never happened.

[@mindfulskills]

The idea that mindfulness practice is somehow incompatible with self-improvement is a misconception. When you put your car in neutral, that doesn't mean that you believe 1st gear is "bad". It only means that now is the time for neutral. When I need 1st I'll shift into 1st. The science (and there's plenty of it) shows pretty conclusively that practicing mindfulness (non-judgmental witnessing or Presence) makes you MORE, not less, effective in other domains of your life such as work, relationships, and yes, "self-improvement."

[@MindofMichaelMyers]

Basically quit being a passive infant and grow up.

[@AnimeBallsDeep]

hmmm

[@SuperAtheist]

+Anime Balls Deep I think you mean "Ohmm".

[@Miranox2]

+Anime Balls Deep anime is shit you weaboo

[@Miranox2]

***** you're a boob so i'm good thx

[@2LegHumanist]

The self is an illusion.

[@soslothful]

+2LegHumanist Support?

[@teggerzz]

That's well substantiated What do you mean by this? Because I'm better than others at some things and others are better than me at different ones I can distinguish myself from the masses, the way I can distinguish all the notes that make up a single piece of music Thoughtless dogma has no place anywhere near something called 'big think' Substantiate yourself or just remain silent - I don't need sheep baaing bullshit mantras they read on the internet

[@2LegHumanist]

teggerzz It's not dogma, it's neuroscience. philosophynow.org/issues/97/The_Illusion_of_the_Self

[@2LegHumanist]

www.newscientist.com/round-up/self/

[@BardicLiving]

+2LegHumanist Not that I disagree, but if it's an "illusion" that does raise the obvious question: why is there even a "self" to experience the illusion in the first place?

[@charliecrome207]

Making the leap from accepting your emotions and accepting your life situation is only done by someone who does not fully understand what being mindful means

[@sovernsectwarren]

He doesn't understand mindfulness, he's just going on a long tirade about what's natural and what's not natural and how something being "not natural" is not "bad". A very confusing ill informed talk by someone that does not understand mindfulness.

[@Drrck11]

I understand you point, but having practiced meditation myself, I've learned to deal with stress and other negative feelings/dispositions a lot better now. I believe my overall health has improved as a result. There will always be problems in the world and in life, but how you react and deal with them is what makes all the difference in your life.

[@MrForeverAlonez]

3rd. But I'm Chinese so I'm 1st

[@enverko]

god job

[@mathewj5133]

TAIWAN #1

[@hdaviator9181]

+Jonathan Lee I would like an order of General Tso's chicken and pepper steak please.

[@steffennielsen5942]

So this dude thinks emotional acceptance equals passivity and actual acceptance of injustice etc. He sure has some big thoughts

[@porcupineracer2]

+Steffen Nielsen He has a low opinion of our ability to grasp concepts. A common problem among the educated when they view the general people.

[@GrahamMilkdrop]

If you are crossing a road and there's a huge truck travelling fast towards you.... to accept the situation would be... A: to become unresponsive and tell yourself that it is 'meant to be' and 'for the greater good' and focus on having positive thoughts about what fate will bring you next... or... B: To do whatever is necessary to get out of the way? Which one would be avoidance?!

[@Labrynthetic]

It's not about "distancing" your self from undesirable feelings, it's about accepting "what is". This is the key to recognizing "the patterns". The problem is denying that there is a problem. Accepting your tendencies, puts them in a place to be touched/changed.) First step Goal: Grow eyes on the inside of your mind. Thought Monitoring Behavior Monitoring Pattern Recognition Adjust Thought Monitoring Behavior Monitoring Pattern Recognition Adjust (Repeat)

[@Xentrick]

The mindfulness practice I've been exposed to emphasizes being aware of your thought but allowing the crest of the waves of emotion to pass so that you may act in a more rational, calm and compassionate manner. Being aware of the thoughts that preoccupy you are indicators of the things you need to change. Without sitting and listening mindfully to your inner dialogue you wouldn't know what patterns are emerging that is causing disruption and dis-ease.

[@MrMontoroA]

Mindfulness suggests "distancing" yourself from your immediate inner reactions, taking a step back and simply observing the feelings and thought processes that erupt as your "natural response" to some trigger, instead of acting upon them. Isn't that proposing change? It proposes Inaction instead of action, and that is not invalid. It means that by adopting this practice, you might prevent yourself from doing something destructive to you and people around you by making a rushed decision on a feeling that prompts a desire for immediate action, like anger. Yes, you are still being yourself since you are being washed by that same anger and that same desire, but before you would have acted on it, and now you didn't, and isn't the "action part" the one with the consequences?. That is change. And for the "long term effect", if you succesfully prevent destructive action by distancing/separating yourself from your autommatic reactions, won't these responses eventually become almost strange to you and stop representing the way you usually react to these triggers? Won't you eventually stop being a person that reacts on explosive manners?

[@roycenord9659]

👌👍

[@spiderlime]

but who is the specific chinese philosopher quoted? in each country and each time period, there was more than one philosophical thinker, and those that shared similar ideas belonged to schools of thought. it;s very common knowledge. i would like to know more specifically who was the chinese philosopher whose views were quoted and which school of thought did he belong to.

[@cwjakesteel]

+spiderlime He said the name multiple times...multiple names too. xun zi and kong zi.

[@hyperventilatinggeek]

Glad to see Big Think has gotten a hold of Jemaine from Flight of The Conchords.

[@drniandra]

+Cody Stabelfeldt HAHA My thoughts exactly.

[@siddgeir1312]

Ya, but what they really wanted was an Australian.

[@AdaptorLive]

Interesting! I've never believed in the notion of people being some kind of onion with a pure self at the core. We're all made up of some layers I guess, from the things we internalized as babies to the way we think conceptually on a high level. Peeling layers off, however, doesn't work. We are the layers. Maybe we can modify some layers, add some layers and change how layers interact, but that's it. Not to say there isn't tremendous value in trying. As far as nature goes, it's artificial in the first place to see a distinction between yourself and nature. We are nature. What's the difference between a house and a bird's nest? Not much if you ask me. What he says about mindfulness sounded a bit too contrived to be honest. Distancing yourself from emotions a little does not preclude you from noticing them. Even from a distance you're still able to spot emotions that tend to come up more frequently or more strongly. A little bit of distance might even help in recognizing where there is room for improvement. It's hard to critically look at yourself from a storm of emotions.

[@leocarbaugh5074]

Everything you just said is so valuable for anyone with an eye to see it. We ARE the layers, yes so well put. In a way we kind of are like an onion, not with a true self at the center but rather no center at all. Also, you are the only other person, Ive heard say we are not apart from nature. The day I noticed that, my entire perspective changed, the sensation of a me thats apart from all this, that could get control over it or myself just fell away, no longer a distinction between what I do and what happens. I always say, the same forces that make the stars, and allowed life to form on earth are the same forces that take a sip of coffee in the morning. Thank you for sharing your viewpoint. 😊🙏

[@1p6t1gms]

Challenges, problems, difficulties present the best training in life so it appears. Self-created tragedy as well as all confusion and its effects from outside sources really seem to create hopeless situations with despair. With the never ending lies and deceptions based in reality the inner strength of an individual to maintain the perseverance is important without succumbing to anger or rage as well as retreat from all the learning processes of life. No matter how you arrange your garden flowers, it is derived from all that is natural. Meditation supports control in this and concentration on one rose in your arranged garden would be beneficial to anyone who makes the effort of meditation. Without nature we would not exist, nature is the greatest phenomenon I am able to agree with in life; it is the finest definition of love.

[@PaulDeuchar]

Awesome video and great view point!

[@jurisligeris9989]

Returning to your true self means transcending your ego self which means - it' s all about changing, because your identity, false believes, rights / wrongs, assumptions should be slowly thrown away, so only the true self remains. But changing doesn't always mean returning to your true self, it could mean just building another identity. Acceptance is one of the techniques which should be used to diminish your ego, your importance, which helps you see things as they are. Acceptance actually means facing problems, but not building walls or avoiding them.

[@DrHowbeit]

0:34 Is this a case of misrepresentation? I’ve never heard anyone teach that mindfulness is about accepting your life and being passive about it. Rather, it is about training one’s ability to accept the current moment as it is. In other words, it is a way to relax the mind. With the ability to relax it is easier to be alert and clear-headed when necessary. The distinction is quite clear. I simply don’t see which school of mindfulness he’s talking about.

[@nickmowery_music]

This is an archaic interpretation of a practice that not only aids in self improvement but is synonymous with it.

[@jllarivee60]

man, life is hard...

[@Idontuseyoutube]

isn't it man. it's all a paradox.

[@RICHARDGRANNON]

It's simple Eastern Philosophy as we encounter it in the West, simply is not Eastern Philosophy. It's spiritual bypassing, new age horseshit and psychobabble. Eastern Philosophy is not fluffy and permissive, its a vigorously challenging discipline. Source: started studying and practicing Zen meditation at age 15 and have lived for years in Asia. Great video, makes good points. If you like it look up what Slovenian Philosopher Slavoj Zizek has said about "Western Buddhism". No edge? No bite? No Challenge? Just mindless trite aphorisms about fuck all and morally permissive sophistry? Probably not the real stuff. "Eastern Philosophy" is popular with American Celebrities. Nuff said.

[@samuelreynoso556]

+Philip because he isn't zen?

[@ghiribizzi]

since ego is merely an illusion.... and if the word "constructed" were taken literally, that means that anyone "build up" or just "pile up" the ego with whatever comes to hand, which means something totally contingent, with little or nay "essences"

[@ballshippin3809]

" *Only those who don't strive after life truely respect life* " - Lao Tzu

[@theclumsydirector6748]

This conflicts with years of Google search I have done. Good to see something actually making me think!

[@zapspiders92]

The whole point of mindfulness is to avoid obsessing over the negative, not ignore the negative. Say you want to lose weight. You make a goal and plan out the diet and then start doing following it. At that point, it doesn't do any good to continually keep reminding yourself "i need to lose weight". It will just lead to frustration and impatience. You've decided what you want to change and how. Being mindful is not beating yourself up the entire journey of losing weight but accepting each step of progress without reminding yourself how far you have to go.

[@octopusonfire100]

+zapspiders92 Exactly. Mr. Puett has determined from the start that mindfulness means being passive to everything around you, when it's actually the opposite. You can't take proper action over anything if you can't be aware of it in the first place. That is, unless you want to run around aimlessly like a headless chicken. When you start a dialogue inside your brain that never stops, it leads you to defeat against passiveness. It leads you to endless hesitation, and never get past that cobweb of thoughts and feelings. Also, trying to get some distance in order to get a clearer view of your thoughts (to pinpoint the things dragging you back, btw) has nothing to do with finding your true self or being one with nature. It's fundamentally a practical way to deal with the mess that our brains usually are.

[@junli6065]

The very fact you divide feelings into ‘positive’ vs. ‘negative’ means you don’t get the ancient Chinese idea at all.

[@JaredJanes]

A lot of great ideas in here but I'm not comfortable with the assumption that mindfulness and self-acceptance are somehow mutually exclusive. These are two separate concepts that can be utilized for good and/or for bad. Mindfulness let's you monitor your thoughts and emotions then choose what to do with that information. Most mindfulness teachers would say that one of the most important insights to have is that you don't have to personally identify with your thoughts/emotions.

[@woodyexplorer]

Right in a way. Bhudhists are taught to look at feelings inside oneself at all time. It is the way to know oneself. But just looking though, no need to interfere. One's own intelligence will take its own course to gradually improve oneself. The goal is to diminish the three negativities. Greed (the pulling inward, e.g. love)ม the anger (the pushing out, e.g. dislike), illusion (the neutral, not pushing out or pulling in) This is the technique taught as the labelling of the feelings.

[@superemzone]

Good Kush here. What many seek is their 'True self' as the being which is fulfilled and in harmony with the concert which is the moving universe. This True Self, may have never been embodied at childhood, yet it lies latent within your being as a possibility. It is usually this possibility that you seek when you aspire to intelligently better yourself. That is to say, when you mindfully go about improving your life. Good talk.

[@jamespardee8534]

neither adopt nor avoid all thoughts.

[@janinge8696]

Thank you, I totally agree. I think it should be about altering myself for the better, transform me to a less dysfunctional being. Love is more functional than hate or resentment I think even if I find myself having a natural tendency towards aggression it messes my life up. Loving thoughts about others don't and it feels just amazing whenever I manage walk that path.

[@mercsulky]

It's interesting that when these ideas where brought to America the idea of changing oneself turned to accepting oneself.

[@fahimaalfarabi1646]

Puett's interpretations of chinese philosophy are easy to follow and just spot-on. Planning to read the book soon as well. Thanks to Big think for disseminating his ideas like this!

[@nickbowd]

I understand that he is a Harvard professor and all but my understanding of eastern philosophy and mindfulness is quite different to mine. It’s interesting how different interpretations came be made. To me mindfulness / meditation and eastern philosophy have had an incredible impact on my life. Observation and acceptance of self doesn’t mean you don’t want to create something different. You can accept yourself but desire something else. I’m fact when you truly accept yourself, only then can you bring your greatest joy.

[@dogodeburdeos6180]

No change will be possible with no full acceptance. Full acceptance is inexorably related with full understanding. One cannot exists without the other. Then, you cannot solve a problem without full acceptance of it, because the opposite is hiding it, making it unable to be seeable, and you need to be aware of something that you want to work with, mostly during the time of intervention. Full acceptance, is not negation of the necessity of change, most likely the opposite. Full acceptance, is just product of the awareness of the circumstances, and then the fully acceptance of those because the reality is so clear. You accept, because, you don't want to fight anymore. You accept, because you want to feel better. You accept, because you want to change. Its honesty at its finest, its the honesty of someone who wants to understand, who wants to feel good, who doesn't want to hurt nobody, who doesn't want bad feelings anymore, just looking for his own peace.

[@ratmaster4000]

The point is to be paying attention to self and what creates triggers within you. For as you allow yourself to view what triggers automatic responses within yourself, you may also become more familiar with the beliefs that are influencing these automatic responses and thusly allow yourself more choice.

[@carolegyptienne]

Mindfulness is seeing beyond those patterns... knowing who you really are, and thus letting go of negative patterns, suffering and virtual ego

[@raiden490]

true self isn't the mind nor anything that holds position, true nature of self is pure awareness not subjected to any"thing"

[@toebeanteam6259]

When we become afraid or angry, we lose control of our prefrontal cortex and the amygdala and brainstem seek preservation (the brain only perceives stress as part of self preservation). Becoming mindful helps us to remain in control of our planning faculties, allowing us our full abilities to navigate circumstances that may be contributing to the negative emotions or blocking our path to fulfillment.

[@elocinsel]

that is the confusion that arises from many interpretations. So many best-seller gurus over night. Mindfullness is to be aware of what is going on. Inside out. Don't live like a sleeper. Be aware of what it is without distortion. That is acceptance. But that means longer not to remain inert, indulgent, passive or even worse: repressive. Meaning and Change come from within and that comes from understanding. Finally, we live in the world we all create. No excuses for that one.

[@krysylys]

+Ryan MacFarlane I think too many commentators have missed the point. He's not attacking mindfulness at all. I've seen so many comments opposed to what he said, and then essentially agreeing. And I think you're a case in point Ryan. To quote yourself: "Mindfulness is about learning how to refrain from becoming hooked into thoughts and feelings as they arise; to acknowledge and become aware of them, and to act from that awareness as opposed to reflexively". That's what he's just described. The point he is making here is the propensity in the West for promoting self-acceptance above or even without mindfulness. And our propensity in the West is to neglect to acknowledge, become aware or act on an awareness of our flaws, even when we think we are trying to be mindful.

[@PaulLadendorf]

4 mins. in and I don't agree with anything he says. 1. Mindfulness is not the same as acceptance. Its strictly awareness/attentiveness. 2. People are corrupted after birth. Sure there's some collective baggage we come into the world with but if we could even get back to the innocence of infancy, we would be extremely healthy beings. 3. Going to a man-made park in your city isn't what people have in mind when they think about "getting back to nature". Although, a park is a helluva lot more natural than (shudder) an office cubicle. Think mountains, woods, etc.

[@EclecticoIconoclasta]

Like Ken Wilber says, we have to both know and work on "waking up" and "growing up". Also Tantra philosophies are for householders living in the real world and not for those living in monasteries like monks. As such Tantra is a philosophy both for "mindfullness" as well as for power over reality, not the first one only. Both buddhism and advaita vedanta philosophies can sell a negative view of reality which can end in resignation and in leaving unsolved issues untouched

[@SleepyCity0001]

To change yourself you must first accept yourself as who you are. If you are constantly searching for change it indicates that you are not settled and comfortable with what you are and have now. Change is not to be forced but just accepted. Change is truth. Accepting yourself does not indicate that you will remain stagnant but rather that you will accept any change, challenge, or emotion that arises as we are venturing on our journey of life. And - our true self is perfect, it is not messy. Babies don't necessarily indicate our true self. But I would agree that life is not about finding yourself but rather creating yourself. I also would not count park as nature. We should be one with nature, not man made structures but trees and the breezes who have been around far longer than you have.

[@metaman1982]

He is describing what might be better interpreted as a "Mindless" self-acceptance. This would be an acceptance of self that does not have the right understanding of the exercise and state of being of mindfulness. As some have commented before, the understanding of no-self or ego dissolution achieved through mindfulness frames the hitherto interpreted "natural" patterns of mind and being in the right light: the changing impersonal phenomenon. Being mindfully aware and accepting of the changing phenomenon and consequences of experience as they manifest is empowering in evaluating and directing personal change.

[@1simo93521]

Good video big think!

[@celestialteapot3310]

The western appropopiation of mindfulness has a goal. Mindfulness, as practiced in Zazen for example, does not.

[@nimasherpa9787]

This changed my view! It did make me realize that how self acceptance can sometime be destructive than doing good.

[@carlosisapimp]

You can't change/upgrade until you accept yourself at whatever point you are in life. Because when you accept the person that you are at a preset point then one can understand what things need to be done to improve whatever thing you accepted (it could be something that you don't like about yourself) like a bad habit, if one does not accept/acknowledge a habit that is bad -then, One is likely to ignore it and stay the same.

[@korozsitamas]

When you're mindful you can be aware of your patterns so you are less controlled by them. Acceptance doesn't mean that you just give up and let the patterns control you. Quite the opposite actually. It just means you don't get neurotic because of what happening outside or inside you. It means that you accept your feelings, become aware of them and you can decide it they're helpful or not. But it only bears fruit if you practice it, so it becomes your second nature.

[@DreamerTrain]

They don't contradict themselves, you should strive for both things

[@PazLeBon]

mindful self acceptance - or as I see it, being chilled out. Not everyone feels the need to improve, I don't particularly, I'm content.

[@psychedelicdreamer986]

I had no idea that this is how people view the concept of mindfulness. To me it's being in the here and now, be aware of what you're doing and be in focus. You can practice mindfull walking, for instance. That means you're walking and you concentrate on your walk and surroundings, but you try to not think of your grocery list, what's going on on Twitter or what you're going to do on the weekend. That can be postponed, just focus on what you're doing right now, while you're doing it. While I write this I realise how almost nobody does this in our modern society. Everybody is always multitasking and not fully there. Time can only be spent once though, when the present moment is gone, it's the past and you can't change it anymore. So there's where mindfulness comes in, at least this is how I've been practicing it myself. Be in the here and the now, be in focus, be the best version of yourself that you have in you, because you're fully present and not deviding your attention. It won't mean you don't make mistakes and it won't give you superpowers. However, it does often give you a lot more peace of mind. Namaste.

[@octopusonfire100]

+NatalieCatLee You're doing it right. This whole video is a big, terrible strawman.

[@psychedelicdreamer986]

Thank you very much for your comment, I felt a bit confused by this video. I hear people say negative things about mindfulness lately and I was thinking: wow, if this is what they think it is, then I understand why they don't see the benefits. I almost wonder if certain people, the kind with a financial stake in this, are trying to undermine the meditation movement by misrepresenting things like mindfulness and ridiculing it. I know it sounds a bit conspiracy theory lol.

[@octopusonfire100]

NatalieCatLee Maybe, maybe they're just contrarians, or just maybe they're pissed off that mindfulness doesn't require anything of you, other than... what.... 5-10 minutes a day of practising, and you can even do it while you go for a walk? :D

[@psychedelicdreamer986]

Well yes, exactly, you can do it yourself, without outside influences, and yes, mindful walking is a very nice and easy way to practice mindfulness. If you can free your mind from excessive and/or stressful thinking only for 10 minutes a day, it's already going to have effect. And since neuroscience has proven the effectiveness of meditation and of exercise too, for that matter, I'd say it's maybe even a nice way to multitask the 2 (haha!). Very good for the brain. :-)

[@vejymonsta3006]

Self improvement is important, but you should only seek it out of necessity. It's more important to be content with your self to avoid stress. There comes a point where we may not be able to improve and continually searching for a way to do so might be detrimental to your quality of life. In the end the you should seek what makes you feel happy. If that means improvement then seek improvement. If that means to relax then seek relaxation.

[@johnc1014]

As a Christian, I agree with this. We are to be agents of change and not complacent or accepting of how things are. We live in a fallen world and are born with inherent sin. Nature was once perfect, but has since fallen. Now, humans are sinful and fall sort of perfection. God is a just god and must punish our sins (or imperfections). He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty of our sins and redeem us to perfection and eternal life. We are to receive this free gift of eternal life through Christ and, in doing so are indwelled with the Holy Spirit (third person of the Triune God) who helps us to become more like Christ. That is were we seek to change ourselves and others for the better. We understand that we are sinful human beings, but are now redeemed and seek to therefore become less sinful and more wise. Some, like Confucius will say to overcome the self. However, that doesn't work by your own effort. People are sinful and will continue to be sinful no matter how much effort they put into it. It is only by the help of the Holy Spirit (part of God) that we can overcome sin and overcome ourselves. And this only comes through understanding that we are truly sinful and in need of a Savior. We need a Savior because there is a God who is righteous and must punish our transgressions. We can face that punishment or we can realize that God loved us so much that he already paid it for us and all we have to do is receive it as a free gift by faith and choose follow our Savior (Jesus Christ, the second person of the Triune God) alone for our eternal life. Do that and you begin to seek true wisdom and understanding of yourself, this world, and the things to come.

[@johnc1014]

***** Good comment. Just one thing. We do not prove to God that we are worthy. We are not worthy of eternal life, but God loved us so much that he offers it anyway, through Christ. We do good because we love him in return.

[@a4bcaboose]

idk why but this guy reminds me of donkey kong

[@quinxx12]

He actually is. Donkey Kong just hasn't accepted his true nature.

[@AllenLinnenJr]

"Mindful Self-Acceptance? Bad Idea According to Ancient Chinese Philosophers." Sensationalist title is sensationalist. Nothing to see here folks. Esoteric BS piled high.

[@Perrigene]

The true self in the sense he is trying to degrade is not conditioned patterns but is beyond conditioned patterns. Patterns come and go, thoughts come and go, emotions come and go but the true self is always there beneath, unchanging and infinite. The true self can not be worked upon nor can it be diminished. It can only be realized or ignored.

[@BliggySmawz]

Misleading and misunderstood. It starts of with a wrong understanding, so the rest is redundant. He stopped at the programming we acquire throughout childhood and most of our lives in general. What true mindfulness teaches you is how to find what lies beyond those patterns, beyond your thoughts and emotions. A You that is deeper than the Ego, so deep within it feels more real than anything you ever thought was real! I've been there, and so have many many others - some are there permanently and we call this enlightenment!

[@thomasgrabowski2202]

I believe it is about constant growth and evolution in our personal lives - whatever is most important to us that should continue to grow and evolve. I believe it is the name of the game to continue to get better, yet at the same time it is also important to accept ourselves in the process of becoming better. Having moments in the day of meditation (lets say 10 minutes in the morning and once in the evening), where we reflect and accept ourselves for what we have accomplished and what we have done. After all, we are infinite beings constantly looking to be better in all aspects of our lives, and that we will continue to expand ourselves, to conquer ourselves, and to be better humans.

[@pumperentchen]

The mindfulness I learned was exactly to *gain* sovereignty over my mind and to be able to *break* patterns, and only be "accepting and distancing" toward thoughts that are fruitless and would keep one sticking to fear and lack of self-confidence. And used like that mindfulness is a very powerful tool.

[@StarSpawn06]

"mindfulness" is a mistranslation of the Buddhist term "sati", which actually means continuously paying attention to a particular object/phenomenon/principle in a certain way. For example, in anapanasati, one begins by paying attention to the process of breathing, then pays attention to the entire body with each breath, then calms the body with each breath. Sati is the starting point of a meditation process which reaches Samadhi/Jhana (supernormal steadiness and clarity of mind), allowing the meditator to then see reality as it is, unobscured by hatred, sensual desire, sloth, restlessness or doubt. Unfortunately, this mistranslation has stuck, and the names of a lot of forms of Buddhist meditation end with "sati", so the misconception, that Buddhist meditation is mainly about "minding" what's going on, has spread.

[@prianthagovender649]

Mindfulness actually puts you in a better place to act accordingly, because you act from a place of calmness. In the bagvadgita, control of the mind was taught to Arjuna on the battle field, when he was forced to war with his own family. Mindfulness does not mean to neglect your divine duty. We are all born into perplexing situations, control is better than chaos.

[@junli6065]

You forget the history of Confucius, where all the families were warring against each other and themselves. Thousands died in a day. The old man himself lost his entire state/country. He does not want to “live in the moment”, just as he does not want to repay hate with kindness.

[@austinthornton3407]

Good talk. The current development of mindfulness confuses a tool for observation of one's own mind with an end point. Yes of course we can let a lot of stuff go and be better for it. But is the end point to let everything go? The answer to that is in the experience of a lot of people who have given up on Buddhism because they end up feeling flat and mildly depressed. No the end point is not to let everything go. The object is to understand your own process, not to be compelled by things you don't understand, to know your place in the universe and to know that the universe, and therefore your aspect of it, is inherently dynamic and creative. The Buddhist image of the monk in meditation is a call to those mired in the delusional world to stop and look. It is not a Buddhist madonna , an image of virtue. Behind those closed eyes is a very confused individual.

[@LeeboProductions]

So he's telling gay people not to be their natural selves because it's ultimately destructive to them? See how easy it is to use his ideas against him and construct a strawman? The difference between him and I is that I don't have an agenda to push.

[@BentoRogerio]

The disruptive patterns that one might hold on to will certainly manifest in our thoughts and actions. It´s in that moment when we should identify the pattern and resolve it within. We need time to construct a new and better reality for ourselves and in turn for others so that we make the world a better place for all. I think that both polarities are necessary but only in the right equilibrium. The hard parte is having people truly realise how to do, what they should do, when they should do it the the best way they can, without forcefully taking other peoples freedom.

[@bygpepa]

You start by accepting yourself as you are, the situation you're in. But you shouldn't of course stop there, but then try to remove negative habits and views, until the pure nature of mind is left. Not trees, oceans, or cars and houses can be happy, only the mind can. True happiness is within. And when you reach that, you automatically tend to help others achieve the same. So be happy ;-).

[@bierdlll]

I think he has a wrong understanding, or lacks experiential understanding of how self-acceptance works. You must first accept the negative parts and feelings within yourself. Be caring, understanding and aware of it. It then transforms and heals by itself, in its own time. It does not work if you reject it or try to change it through force of will. The Daoist philosophers would suggest Wuwei, allowing things to happen naturally and spontaneously, and not through the deliberate force of will. Also, a wrong understanding of true self. In mindfulness contemplative traditions, the "true self" is not the conditioned patterns, the "true self" is awareness that can undo conditioned patterns.

[@karelknightmare6712]

Interesting point. Acceptance should not be taken as fatalism. But clear recognition of reality. Accepting that this is how we perceive things and how we judge them. It's a first step allowing to change things. Fatalism is not acceptance because it does not recognise the presumption of the unwillingness to change.

[@johnnyk2112]

The desire to change what we are is the source of all our problems.

[@z-dinestudio4165]

+John Wise Having problems is an important part of experiencing and enjoying life. We learn from our problems. Getting rid of that experience would strip you of your humanity.

[@smomar6796]

Michael Puett has a point in how looking into our self we will find 'patterns' where as David Hume would call this 'bundles of perceptions'

[@irreadings]

I think the problem is that some New Age gurus use meditation as means of coping with our inadequacies, and instead of teaching to change, teaches to be comfortable. If one wants to learn about meditation, I'd indicate Krishnamurti, which advogates meditation as means and end for change. As he says: "To hear the truth and not to act is like poison."

[@BorisNoiseChannel]

1:00 not clinging to transitory stuff (like emotions), is what it's about, and it *_does_* _"effect situations for the better, alter one's relationships and the situations you're in"_. Then: you translate: _'returning to nature'_ into: _clinging to those tendencies we're born with_ (the tendency we have to _cling to transitory stuff_), which, of course *is not* what is meant by _'letting go'_ at all. (ps: I don't _do_ mindfulness: I practice zen-buddhism)

[@vinly2]

The first step to change is understanding.

[@porcupineracer2]

+vinly2 I would add a step before understanding: identifying. You have to recognize the issue exists first before you can do any work. But I am nitpicking. =/

[@biyidesalu2869]

To see negative habits you would have to be able to look at what you do in a non - judgemental way and witness what you do and see the outcomes, both in how you feel and how the world around you is affected. In my opinion I can't see another way to achieve this without some kind of mindfullness technique. Normally you would be wrapped in the emotion or feeling and would just act it out, mindfullness will allow you to just witness it. The speaker is saying that it a just about accepting bad habits but, speaking from personal experience, becoming more conscious of the bad habits then gives you an opportunity to change them. If not you wouldn't be aware and they would continue on

[@QuintelaAriel]

Our Self, our nature or the "way we are born" do not include desires, dispositions and faculties. This are things we get as we grow. You don't have to accept things in a passive way. Once you accept problems as they are, then you can really do something about it.