--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Paying attention and awareness are…" description: "\"Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of human beings.\" — Jon Kabat-Zinn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_attention_paying-attention-and-awareness-are-unive_62976.png" --- # Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of… ![“Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of human beings.” quote by Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_attention_paying-attention-and-awareness-are-unive_62976.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_attention_paying-attention-and-awareness-are-unive_62976.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_attention_paying-attention-and-awareness-are-unive_62976.png) > “Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of human beings.” [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. Human beings inherently possess the ability to focus and be conscious of their surroundings and inner states. **In simple terms:** Attention and awareness are innate human traits. Key Takeaway Mindful presence is a natural capacity. Themes mindfulness cognition self-awareness psychology human nature Mood calm present reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - meditation practice - stress reduction - learning environments - therapy sessions Key Concepts attention awareness consciousness Practical Applications - mindfulness training - cognitive therapy Questions to Reflect On - How can we cultivate this innate capacity? - What barriers limit our attention? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Paying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-attention/) ## Related quotes > [Spirituality is meant to take us beyond our tribal identity into a domain of awareness that is more universal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/spirituality-is-meant-to-take-us-beyond-our-tribal-identity-into-a/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [It would be wonderful if people could grow together in groups, teaching and learning communities where they empower, evoke, explore the enormous capacities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-houston/it-would-be-wonderful-if-people-could-grow-together-in-groups/) [Jean Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-houston/) > [I think it is one of the capacities of human beings, to create style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-orbach/i-think-it-is-one-of-the-capacities-of-human-beings-to-create-style/) [Susie Orbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-orbach/) > [Power itself is simply a word to describe attention, awareness, which embodies all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/power-itself-is-simply-a-word-to-describe-attention-awareness-which/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Mindfulness - moment to moment non-judgemental attention and awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-davidson/mindfulness-moment-to-moment-non-judgemental-attention-and-awareness/) [Richard Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-davidson/) > [I got very interested in attention and awareness and how to achieve certain states through understanding this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/i-got-very-interested-in-attention-and-awareness-and-how-to-achieve/) [Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/) > [“Awareness, when managed and directed, becomes attention. By turning into attention, awareness becomes localized, and attains a focal point. Because of this feature, attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/awareness-when-managed-and-directed-becomes-attention-by-turning-into/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [Everything is dependent upon energy. Energy is attention. Attention is awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everything-is-dependent-upon-energy-energy-is-attention-attention-is/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Survival lies in sanity, and sanity lies in paying attention...the capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/survival-lies-in-sanity-and-sanity-lies-in-paying-attention-the/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [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/) > [Most of the time, if you're not really paying attention, you're someplace else. So your child might say, "Daddy, I want this," and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/most-of-the-time-if-you-re-not-really-paying-attention-you-re/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Mindfulness is often spoken of as the heart of Buddhist meditation. It's not about Buddhism, but about paying attention. That's what all meditation is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/mindfulness-is-often-spoken-of-as-the-heart-of-buddhist-meditation-it/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Science is now documenting that it's not the objects of meditation that are important, it's the process of paying attention to them - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/science-is-now-documenting-that-it-s-not-the-objects-of-meditation/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [I want my whole life to be a great work of art, not just my art. And that means paying attention to my entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/i-want-my-whole-life-to-be-a-great-work-of-art-not-just-my-art-and/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [There is a nationwide shortage of drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder. The FDA says they're not sure how it happened. I guess somebody wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/there-is-a-nationwide-shortage-of-drugs-for-attention-deficit/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) ## 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/) > [“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/) > [There are a lot of different ways to talk about mindfulness, but what it really means is awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/there-are-a-lot-of-different-ways-to-talk-about-mindfulness-but-what/) [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 Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of human beings.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Kabat-Zinn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/paying-attention-and-awareness-are-universal-capacities-of-human/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/paying-attention-and-awareness-are-universal-capacities-of-human/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_attention_paying-attention-and-awareness-are-unive_62976.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_attention_paying-attention-and-awareness-are-unive_62976.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/jon-kabat-zinn-1327_attention_paying-attention-and-awareness-are-unive_62976.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of human beings.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jon Kabat-Zinn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Paying attention and awareness are universal...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/paying-attention-and-awareness-are-universal-capacities-of-human/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/paying-attention-and-awareness-are-universal-capacities-of-human/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```