<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Meta-awareness, according to Amishi Jha, refers to the ability to be aware of the content and processes of what is going on in our minds moment by moment.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">It involves paying attention to our attention, observing our thoughts, emotions, and mental processes without becoming entangled or overwhelmed by them.</li><li class="ql-align-justify"> By cultivating meta-awareness through mindfulness meditation, individuals can strengthen their attention and regain control over their mental processes.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">This enables us to foster resilience and focus on the face of distractions.</li></ul>

Practicing meta-awareness via mindfulness for Attention Enhancement

"Mimetic desire means that we're adopting another person's desire as our own, usually without even realizing that we're doing it."

"Everything is being done by teams of engineers to actually capture your attention and keep it there; your attention is the product."

<ul><li>Burgis emphasizes the importance of discernment in choosing our mimetic models. </li><li>While having positive role models is beneficial, it's crucial to recognize the limitations of any model and discern whether their lifestyle or desires align with our values and aspirations. </li><li>By understanding the dynamics of mimetic desire, we can avoid falling into the trap of perpetual comparison and focus on pursuing fulfillment rather than fleeting desires.</li></ul>He recommends:<ol><li> to get offline once in a while</li><li>to have conversations with your family, close friends, with your neighbors, with your community. </li></ol>

Managing Mimetic Desire Wisely

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist, delves into the complexities of attention management in today's digital landscape. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Our attention is a precious resource, essential for cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and meaningful social connections. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">However, factors such as stress, negative mood, and the allure of novel or enticing information can hijack our attention, leading to distraction and cognitive overload.</li></ul>

Attention Management in the Digital Age:

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Luke Burgis, founder of Fourth Wall Ventures, highlights the concept of mimetic desire, wherein individuals unconsciously adopt the desires of others, often without realizing it. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">With the proliferation of social media, we are exposed to countless mimetic models: </li></ul><ol><li class="ql-align-justify"> external (those outside our immediate circle) and </li><li class="ql-align-justify">internal (those within our social sphere). </li></ol><ul><li class="ql-align-justify">This inundation of models can lead to comparison, envy, and a perpetual cycle of desire.</li></ul>

Social Media's Influence on Mimetic Desire:

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">quit social media for good!</li><li class="ql-align-justify">use a flip phone as an alternative to smartphones for distraction free tech time.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Use apps that set time limits to your social media use.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Intentionally set aside a time slot in your weeks plans to spend time with close ones or alone without tech, via long walks, attend a concert, movie, play, sport event, or play irl games with others!</li></ul>

Bonus tips from YouTube comments

In this Big Think video, Luke Burgis, Todd Rose, and Amishi Jha explore the intricacies of social media's influence on human desires, opinion, attention, and overall mental health.

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In this Big Think video, Luke Burgis, Todd Rose , and Amishi Jha explore the intricacies of social media's influence on human desires, opinion, attention, and overall mental health.

The discussion encompasses the enticing nature of rapid opinion formation, the concept of mimetic desire and its amplification through digital platforms, and the profound implications of the 'Attention Economy' where user focus is commodified. They address the creation and consequences of digital illusions, offering a nuanced examination of social media's dual role as both a democratizing force and a potential source of toxicity. 

Through their analysis, Burgis and Jha provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges posed by online interactions and suggest mindfulness as a tool for individuals to regain control over their attention and desires in an increasingly digital world. This presentation serves as a critical reflection on the modern digital landscape and its effects on society.

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About Luke Burgis:

Luke Burgis is a veteran entrepreneur and author. He’s the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship in Washington, DC, and the founder of Fourth Wall Ventures, an incubator that invests in people, art, and technology that contribute to a healthy human ecology. Luke studied business at NYU Stern before doing graduate work in philosophy and earning an S.T.B. in Theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. He’s the author of the book Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life, which popularized the work of cultural anthropologist René Girard. He lives with his wife, Claire, in the DC area.


About Todd Rose:

Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of Populace, a think tank committed to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives in a thriving society. Prior to Populace, he was a faculty member at Harvard University where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and directed the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Todd is the best selling author of Collective Illusions, Dark Horse, and The End of Average. He lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.


About Amishi Jha:

Dr. Amishi Jha is an internationally renowned neuroscience researcher, speaker, and author in the fields of attention, resilience, and mindfulness. She studies how to keep the brain’s attention systems in peak shape over high-pressure intervals. Over the past two decades, she has conducted large-scale studies with the US Military, first responders, medical professionals, business leaders, elite sports teams, and more. Her research reveals that the science is clear: You can change your brain to become more attentive, present, and productive.

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