To be aware of a thought is already to be free from it. It sounds simple, but this is the entire game of mindfulness right there. It’s the difference between being lost in the storm and simply watching it from a safe distance.
Share Image Quote:Table of Contents
Meaning
The core message is that the simple act of noticing a thought creates a space between you and it, which is the very essence of psychological freedom.
Explanation
Okay, let me break this down. Most of us live our lives completely identified with our thoughts. A worry pops up, and we *become* the worrier. A critical thought arises, and we are that criticism. We’re fused with it. But the moment you consciously notice, “Ah, I’m having a worried thought,” something profound happens. You’ve created a tiny gap. You’re no longer the thought itself; you’re the awareness observing the thought. And that awareness, that space, is where your freedom lies. It’s like realizing you’re the sky, not the passing cloud. This is the fundamental shift.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Personal Development (697) |
| Topics | awareness (126), freedom (82), thoughts (29) |
| Literary Style | aphoristic (181) |
| Emotion / Mood | liberating (29) |
| Overall Quote Score | 87 (185) |
Origin & Factcheck
This gem comes from Daniel Goleman’s 1988 book, The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditative Experience. People often misattribute this kind of wisdom to Eckhart Tolle or other modern teachers, but Goleman was synthesizing core meditation principles long before they hit the mainstream. He was pulling from ancient Buddhist and other contemplative traditions and translating them for a Western audience.
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 | To be aware of a thought is already to be free from it |
| 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 |