You know, that moment “The meditator learns to see the difference” is the entire game right there. It’s not about emptying your mind, but discovering the space around your thoughts. Let’s break down why this is such a powerful shift.
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Meaning
At its core, this is about the fundamental shift from being lost *in* your thoughts to being aware *of* them. It’s the difference between being the actor on the stage and the audience watching the play.
Explanation
Okay, so here’s the real-world, practical magic of this. Most of us are fused with our thinking. A stressful thought arises, and we *become* stressed. We are the thought. But what Goleman is pointing to is that through meditation, you start to notice a subtle but profound gap. You have the thought “I’m so overwhelmed,” and instead of just being overwhelmed, a part of you simply notices, “Ah, there is a thought about being overwhelmed.” That noticing? That’s the awareness. It’s the silent, spacious background against which the chaotic movie of your mind plays out. And when you touch that, everything changes. You’re no longer a puppet to every passing mental weather system. You have a choice.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Spiritual (229) |
| Topics | awareness (126), thoughts (29) |
| Literary Style | didactic (370) |
| Overall Quote Score | 74 (80) |
Origin & Factcheck
This insight comes directly from Daniel Goleman’s 1988 book, “The Meditative Mind,” where he was synthesizing his research and experiences with various meditation traditions. While the concept is ancient, found in Vipassana and Zen, Goleman’s gift was translating it into a modern psychological framework for a Western audience. It’s a core tenet, not a misattribution.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Daniel Goleman (125) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditative Experience (60) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Modern (530) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Daniel Goleman is a psychologist and bestselling author whose journalism at The New York Times brought brain and behavior science to a wide audience. He earned a BA from Amherst and a PhD in psychology from Harvard, and studied in India on a Harvard fellowship. Goleman’s research and writing helped mainstream emotional intelligence, leadership competencies, attention, and contemplative science. He co-founded CASEL and a leading research consortium on EI at work. The Daniel Goleman book list includes Emotional Intelligence, Working with Emotional Intelligence, Primal Leadership, Social Intelligence, Focus, and Altered Traits.
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | The meditator learns to see the difference between thought and the awareness that witnesses thought |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 1977 (originally as The Varieties of Meditative Experience, revised 1988 as The Meditative Mind); ISBN: 9780874778335; Last Edition: Tarcher/Putnam 1988; Number of pages: 320. |
| Where is it? | Approximate page from 1988 edition, Chapter 5: The Stages of Meditation |