--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How we pay attention to the present…" description: "\"“How we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the character of our experience and, therefore, the quality of our lives. Mystics and co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/sam-harris-457_life_how-we-pay-attention-to-the-present-mome_2939725.jpg" --- # How we pay attention to the present moment largely… ![“How we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the character of our experience and, therefore, the quality of our lives. Mystics and contemplatives have made this claim for ages—but a growing body of scientific research now bears it out.” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/sam-harris-457_life_how-we-pay-attention-to-the-present-mome_2939725.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/sam-harris-457_life_how-we-pay-attention-to-the-present-mome_2939725.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/889/sam-harris-457_life_how-we-pay-attention-to-the-present-mome_2939725.jpg) > ““How we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the character of our experience and, therefore, the quality of our lives. Mystics and contemplatives have made this claim for ages—but a growing body of scientific research now bears it out.”” [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Present‑moment attention shapes experience quality; scientific research now supports ancient contemplative claims. **In simple terms:** Mindfulness improves life quality. Key Takeaway Practice present‑moment awareness. Themes mindfulness science contemplation Mood calm thoughtful Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - meditation - daily focus - stress reduction Key Concepts neuroscience psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does present‑moment focus affect stress? - What evidence supports mindfulness benefits? A Different Perspective Consistent practice can be difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Present moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-moment/) [Scientific research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific-research/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Contemplatives are not likely to become gamblers, or procurers, or drunkards; they do not as a rule preach intolerance, or make war; do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/contemplatives-are-not-likely-to-become-gamblers-or-procurers-or/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“The painter Kramskoy has a remarkable painting entitled The Contemplator: it depicts a forest in winter, and in the forest, standing all by himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-painter-kramskoy-has-a-remarkable-painting-entitled-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [We become contemplatives when God discovers Himself in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/we-become-contemplatives-when-god-discovers-himself-in-us/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“God’s real and subtle nature must be clear of distinctions: a glass of spring-water, tasteless, odourless, merely refreshing: and surely its appeal would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/god-s-real-and-subtle-nature-must-be-clear-of-distinctions-a-glass-of/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [All artist are of necessity in some measure contemplatives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/all-artist-are-of-necessity-in-some-measure-contemplatives/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [We are not social workers. 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That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. 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I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“How we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the character of our experience and, therefore, the quality of our lives. 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