Rethinking Attention: Beyond a Resource to Experience

In our digital age, attention is often viewed as a commodity to be managed and exploited. However, this perspective misses a deeper truth: attention is not just a resource to be spent, but a fundamental way we connect with the world.

There are two modes of attention: instrumental (goal-oriented) and exploratory (open and receptive). While technology pushes us towards the instrumental mode, true richness comes from embracing both. By occasionally stepping back from our devices and experiencing the world without an agenda, we can restore balance and rediscover the profound beauty of pure, undirected attention.

https://aeon.co/ideas/attention-is-not-a-resource-but-a-way-of-being-alive-to-the-world