--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even before smart phones and the…" description: "\"Even before smart phones and the Internet, we had many ways to distract our selves. Now that's compounded by a factor of trillions.\" — Jon Kabat-Zinn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_distract_even-before-smart-phones-and-the-interne_2093352.jpg" --- # Even before smart phones and the Internet, we had many… ![“Even before smart phones and the Internet, we had many ways to distract our selves. Now that's compounded by a factor of trillions.” quote by Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_distract_even-before-smart-phones-and-the-interne_2093352.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_distract_even-before-smart-phones-and-the-interne_2093352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_distract_even-before-smart-phones-and-the-interne_2093352.jpg) > “Even before smart phones and the Internet, we had many ways to distract our selves. Now that's compounded by a factor of trillions.” [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Distractions have always existed; modern tech amplifies them enormously. **In simple terms:** Tech multiplies distractions. Key Takeaway Cultivate mindful focus amid digital overload. Themes mindfulness technology distraction Mood calm determined Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - workplace - education - personal health Key Concepts psychology digital culture Questions to Reflect On - How can you limit tech interruptions? - What practices help maintain attention? A Different Perspective Mindfulness alone may not reduce external interruptions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phones/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [I've got a chart here that shows our debt-to-GDP ratio. And while we did run deficits in the past, we now number our debt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-kirk/i-ve-got-a-chart-here-that-shows-our-debt-to-gdp-ratio-and-while-we/) [Mark Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kirk/) > [Trillions of dollars every day are being exchanged around the world in all of the financial markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-lay/trillions-of-dollars-every-day-are-being-exchanged-around-the-world/) [Kenneth Lay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-lay/) > [“Perhaps, after trillions of ages burning in different dynasties of suns, the very best of me may come together again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lafcadio-hearn/perhaps-after-trillions-of-ages-burning-in-different-dynasties-of/) [Lafcadio Hearn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lafcadio-hearn/) > [It's going to cost trillions of dollars to rework the energy sources all over the world. Were going to have to move away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/it-s-going-to-cost-trillions-of-dollars-to-rework-the-energy-sources/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [My brain cells are dying in their trillions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/my-brain-cells-are-dying-in-their-trillions/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [“A Break-up isn't the end of the world, I am not the only one dealing with it, Billions have has a break-up, Trillions are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravinder-singh/a-break-up-isn-t-the-end-of-the-world-i-am-not-the-only-one-dealing/) [Ravinder Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravinder-singh/) > [There are trillions of people who have not yet been born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/there-are-trillions-of-people-who-have-not-yet-been-born/) [Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/) > [“Someone owns trillions and keeps simple. I would. Someone reads all minds and looks average. I would. Someone knows the future and doesn't tell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/someone-owns-trillions-and-keeps-simple-i-would-someone-reads-all/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [There will be trillions of dollars under Addepar. You will have tons of money and information flowing through it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lonsdale/there-will-be-trillions-of-dollars-under-addepar-you-will-have-tons/) [Joe Lonsdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lonsdale/) > [We're involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrie-schwartz/we-re-involved-in-trillions-of-little-acts-just-to-keep-going/) [Morrie Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morrie-schwartz/) > [Out of all of the trillions of numbers that's in the world, just leave me a few that lead me to you. Won't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/out-of-all-of-the-trillions-of-numbers-that-s-in-the-world-just-leave/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [“Think of the billions of trillions of snowflakes, and the billions of trillions of hydrogen and oxygen molecules in every single one of them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/think-of-the-billions-of-trillions-of-snowflakes-and-the-billions-of/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) > [Money is not everything. We don't need billions and trillions of dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/money-is-not-everything-we-don-t-need-billions-and-trillions-of/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [Manhattan is an island. It is a concrete rock. And on top of that island are trillions of dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-serhant/manhattan-is-an-island-it-is-a-concrete-rock-and-on-top-of-that/) [Ryan Serhant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-serhant/) > [ The establishment has trillions of dollars at stake in this election \[2016\]. As an example, just one single trade deal they'd like to pass… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-establishment-has-trillions-of-dollars-at-stake-in-this-election/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## More by Jon Kabat-Zinn > [Karma is often wrongly confused with the notion of a fixed destiny. It is more like an accumulation of tendencies that can lock us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/karma-is-often-wrongly-confused-with-the-notion-of-a-fixed-destiny-it/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Living in a chronic state of unawareness can cause us to miss much of what is most beautiful and meaningful in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/living-in-a-chronic-state-of-unawareness-can-cause-us-to-miss-much-of/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It is cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention, intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/mindfulness-means-moment-to-moment-non-judgmental-awareness-it-is/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/paying-attention-and-awareness-are-universal-capacities-of-human/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“One practical way to do this is to look at other people and ask yourself if you are really seeing them or just your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/one-practical-way-to-do-this-is-to-look-at-other-people-and-ask/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [I thought it was a stroke of genius that Hans Selye used the word stress, because it's true that if you don't know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/i-thought-it-was-a-stroke-of-genius-that-hans-selye-used-the-word/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“dwell in stillness and to observe without reacting and without judging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/dwell-in-stillness-and-to-observe-without-reacting-and-without-judging/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Generosity is another quality which, like patience, letting go, non-judging, and trust, provides a solid foundation for mindfulness practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/generosity-is-another-quality-which-like-patience-letting-go-non/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [The little things? The little moments? They aren't little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/the-little-things-the-little-moments-they-aren-t-little/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Arriving someplace more desirable at some future time is an illusion. This is it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/arriving-someplace-more-desirable-at-some-future-time-is-an-illusion/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“Give yourself permission to allow this moment to be exactly as it is, and allow yourself to be exactly as you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/give-yourself-permission-to-allow-this-moment-to-be-exactly-as-it-is/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Generosity is another quality which, like patience, letting go, non-judging, and trust, provides a solid foundation for mindfulness practice. You might experiment with using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/generosity-is-another-quality-which-like-patience-letting-go-non-2/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Science gave me a cosmic religious feeling, and I would get the same feeling when I was dragged to the Met and the Museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/science-gave-me-a-cosmic-religious-feeling-and-i-would-get-the-same/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Look at other people and ask yourself if you are really seeing them or just your thoughts about them… Without knowing it, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/look-at-other-people-and-ask-yourself-if-you-are-really-seeing-them/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [“In fact, even if distraction does alleviate your pain or help to cope with it some of the time, bringing mindfulness to it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/in-fact-even-if-distraction-does-alleviate-your-pain-or-help-to-cope/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) [Explore all 252 Jon Kabat-Zinn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) ## More Distract quotes > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [Don't let your circumstances distract you from God's truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-let-your-circumstances-distract-you-from-god-s-truth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we allow our self-congratulatory adoration of technology to distract us from our own contact with each other, then somehow the original agenda has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/if-we-allow-our-self-congratulatory-adoration-of-technology-to/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [You make a film to distract people, to interest them, perhaps to make them think, perhaps to help them be a little less naive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-chabrol/you-make-a-film-to-distract-people-to-interest-them-perhaps-to-make/) [Claude Chabrol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-chabrol/) > [Why did you want to go and distract me like that? I was quite in my element and everything.' Conall laughed. 'Someone has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-carriger/why-did-you-want-to-go-and-distract-me-like-that-i-was-quite-in-my/) [Gail Carriger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-carriger/) > [My son died from cancer. My granddaughter died from cancer. I have a lot of reasons to think that reality is not a friendly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrell/my-son-died-from-cancer-my-granddaughter-died-from-cancer-i-have-a/) [David Morrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrell/) > [Without question, the material world and your everyday needs distract you from living meaningfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menachem-mendel-schneerson/without-question-the-material-world-and-your-everyday-needs-distract/) [Menachem Mendel Schneerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menachem-mendel-schneerson/) > [“Only reading, she knew, could distract her from her obsessive thoughts and restore her sense of peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilma-wolitzer/only-reading-she-knew-could-distract-her-from-her-obsessive-thoughts/) [Hilma Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilma-wolitzer/) > [When campaigns use one-word labels, typically it's meant to distract and destroy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-halter/when-campaigns-use-one-word-labels-typically-it-s-meant-to-distract/) [Bill Halter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-halter/) > [You can be whoever you want to be. Don't let those voices or noises, whether they're inside or outside, distract you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-brooke/you-can-be-whoever-you-want-to-be-don-t-let-those-voices-or-noises/) [Ally Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-brooke/) > [If you love something, you have to stay really focused and can't let outside things distract you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-justice/if-you-love-something-you-have-to-stay-really-focused-and-can-t-let/) [Victoria Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-justice/) > [All of society is built to prop up that lie, the whole world a big, noisy puppet show meant to distract us from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/all-of-society-is-built-to-prop-up-that-lie-the-whole-world-a-big/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [When working, my diet degrades to pizza three times a day, because I don't want to distract myself from anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/when-working-my-diet-degrades-to-pizza-three-times-a-day-because-i/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“you want attention only after you’re doing really good work. There’s no pressure when you’re unknown. You can do what you want. Experiment. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/you-want-attention-only-after-you-re-doing-really-good-work-there-s/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [“It all goes so fast, she thought. We dole out our lives in dinner parties and plane flights, and it's over before we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armistead-maupin/it-all-goes-so-fast-she-thought-we-dole-out-our-lives-in-dinner/) [Armistead Maupin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armistead-maupin/) Browse all 167 Distract quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Even before smart phones and the Internet, we had many ways to distract our selves. 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