However, there are many occasions in which doing what's best for you might not necessarily lead to a pleasant prospect for the rest of the world. Take for instance, that person who goes to the park to exercise but doesn't bother to close the enclosure gate. Those people who go to the playing field and park their cars across entrances and ramps, blocking them. Those who take phone calls in public with their phones on speaker mode while talking at the top of their voices. The generous 'manspreaders'. Those who hit all around them with their backpacks. People who spit in public without any consideration for those around them. Sometimes being at peace with oneself can leave one out of step with others.
The doctrine of mindfulness has become so popular it is almost becoming dogma. Mindfulness encourages the individual to take some time out to consider how one's thoughts, and the world around one generating them are not the essence of the actual individual. In taking a step back one is able to move oneself forward positively and holistically into a sounder and more positive path. Focusing on just the moment should allow one to experience that moment without all the usual pressures and anxieties that usually accompany our every waking moment.
Mindfulness' vanguard has presented personal growth as some sort of later life photosynthesis that doesn't need any sun. There is a suggestion that all the elements needed to grow are already right there inside of us. We just need to close ourselves off to all the blockages and obstructions in our way. However, a healthy sense of self needs dynamic biological and environmental settings in which to blossom. People cannot be their best selves outside the context in which they have to express themselves. Sometimes friction is required for an object to achieve its optimal form. One might require positivity to remain motivated but one also needs challenge to sustain drive and direction. There aren't too many situations in which one can just be regardless. That's not too say one shouldn't come up for air occasionally and get some relief from all the pressure. However, there are too many latent sociopaths out there who are acutely aware of their own rights without any commensurate acknowledgement of their responsibilities to others.
All individuals are personally accountable for their lives and what they do with them. Investing in one's wellbeing and development is one of the foremost requirements for living a worthy life. And it is right to take time to consider our own needs and the barriers that we might encounter in meeting those needs. However, it is also a human necessity to connect with people and work out a balance for harmonious interaction. That can happen casually or through very personal relationships. These connections are what truly define our character and how we fit into the wider world around us. Mindfulness does not advocate disregarding these connections but the tendency for them to become collateral damage in the pursuit of personal growth suggests that they might be dispensable. This is a worrying and dangerous trend.
The doctrine of mindfulness has become so popular it is almost becoming dogma. Mindfulness encourages the individual to take some time out to consider how one's thoughts, and the world around one generating them are not the essence of the actual individual. In taking a step back one is able to move oneself forward positively and holistically into a sounder and more positive path. Focusing on just the moment should allow one to experience that moment without all the usual pressures and anxieties that usually accompany our every waking moment.
Mindfulness' vanguard has presented personal growth as some sort of later life photosynthesis that doesn't need any sun. There is a suggestion that all the elements needed to grow are already right there inside of us. We just need to close ourselves off to all the blockages and obstructions in our way. However, a healthy sense of self needs dynamic biological and environmental settings in which to blossom. People cannot be their best selves outside the context in which they have to express themselves. Sometimes friction is required for an object to achieve its optimal form. One might require positivity to remain motivated but one also needs challenge to sustain drive and direction. There aren't too many situations in which one can just be regardless. That's not too say one shouldn't come up for air occasionally and get some relief from all the pressure. However, there are too many latent sociopaths out there who are acutely aware of their own rights without any commensurate acknowledgement of their responsibilities to others.
All individuals are personally accountable for their lives and what they do with them. Investing in one's wellbeing and development is one of the foremost requirements for living a worthy life. And it is right to take time to consider our own needs and the barriers that we might encounter in meeting those needs. However, it is also a human necessity to connect with people and work out a balance for harmonious interaction. That can happen casually or through very personal relationships. These connections are what truly define our character and how we fit into the wider world around us. Mindfulness does not advocate disregarding these connections but the tendency for them to become collateral damage in the pursuit of personal growth suggests that they might be dispensable. This is a worrying and dangerous trend.
