The Wandering Mind - How to Avoid Distraction Like a Monk
A Conversation with Jamie Kreiner
The Wandering Mind — How to Avoid Distraction Like a Monk
In this episode of In Search of Wisdom, my guest is Jamie Kreiner, the author of The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Can Tell Us About Distraction. Jamie is a professor of history at the University of Georgia. Her work has been awarded prizes from organizations such as the Medieval Academy of America and the American Society for Environmental History. Jamie’s new book has been called “A compelling call to address our current distracted moment with both more seriousness and more humility.”
In the conversation, Jamie and I discuss,
Discerning our way
Why distraction is a perennial problem
How to observe the mind
The role of reading in training the mind
Wisdom in daily life and much more
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Perennial Notes | 3 Takeaways
Do you ever feel overly distracted? Maybe you notice yourself pulled in multiple directions. Here are a few of my favorite passages/takeaways from my conversation with Prof. Jamie Kreiner (author of The Wandering Mind) to help us understand and navigate distraction.
“Despite their understanding of distraction as common to all human beings, they didn’t come to the conclusion that it was morally neutral. Instead they saw themselves as obligated to fight against it. And their struggle became something of a professional identity: stretching the mind out to the things that mattered, against the ethically inferior alternatives…”
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“To their minds, thinking about thinking was not a distraction at all. It was the ultimate way to steady the self. So they devised all sorts of ways to get inside their own heads.”
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“In the late seventh century, Shemʿon d-Ṭaybutheh took a different tack. He suggested allowing your thoughts to wander on purpose. Let them go as if they were livestock grazing in a field—“and then suddenly thrust yourself upon them vehemently and unawares, and hear, examine, and scrutinize with discernment what they are thinking and meditating.”
Additional Resources Related to the Podcast
Thinking 101 with Woo-kyoung Ahn
The Medieval Craft of Memory by Mary Carruthers
The Discipline of Discernment with Dr. Brian Russell
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Thank you for listening; I hope you found something useful.
Until next time, be wise and be well,
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