--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The habit of spending nearly every waking…" description: "\"The habit of spending nearly every waking moment lost in thought leaves us at the mercy of whatever our thoughts happen to be. Meditation is a way of b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/sam-harris-457_habit_the-habit-of-spending-nearly-every-wakin_1159425.jpg" --- # The habit of spending nearly every waking moment lost in… ![“The habit of spending nearly every waking moment lost in thought leaves us at the mercy of whatever our thoughts happen to be. Meditation is a way of breaking this spell.” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/sam-harris-457_habit_the-habit-of-spending-nearly-every-wakin_1159425.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/sam-harris-457_habit_the-habit-of-spending-nearly-every-wakin_1159425.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b3/sam-harris-457_habit_the-habit-of-spending-nearly-every-wakin_1159425.jpg) > “The habit of spending nearly every waking moment lost in thought leaves us at the mercy of whatever our thoughts happen to be. Meditation is a way of breaking this spell.” [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. Constant mental chatter dominates us; meditation interrupts this pattern, allowing clearer awareness. **In simple terms:** Thoughts can control us; meditation breaks that. Key Takeaway Practice meditation to gain mental freedom. Themes mindfulness mental health self‑control Mood calm reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - stress management - creative work - daily routine - emotional regulation Key Concepts cognitive psychology consciousness Questions to Reflect On - How does your inner dialogue affect your day? - What simple meditation habit could you start? A Different Perspective Meditation alone may not solve deep-rooted psychological issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Lost in thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-in-thought/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercy/) [Mindfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Almost all our suffering is the product of our thoughts. We spend nearly every moment of our lives lost in thought, and hostage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/almost-all-our-suffering-is-the-product-of-our-thoughts-we-spend/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [I smiled at her, but she was already lost in thought, looking around the library as if it held all the answers to all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/i-smiled-at-her-but-she-was-already-lost-in-thought-looking-around/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [The human condition: lost in thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-human-condition-lost-in-thought/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“Life is lived only in this moment. If I am distracted or lost in thought, I miss my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-overby/life-is-lived-only-in-this-moment-if-i-am-distracted-or-lost-in/) [Eric Overby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-overby/) > [The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-fix/the-only-reason-some-people-get-lost-in-thought-is-because-it-s-2/) Paul Fix > [The work is never finished because women forever will be eternally mysterious to me - and I will always find that point where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-aldridge/the-work-is-never-finished-because-women-forever-will-be-eternally/) [Miles Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-aldridge/) > [I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. WHAT A TRAIN RIDE!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danialla-and-her-bff/i-just-got-lost-in-thought-it-was-unfamiliar-territory-what-a-train/) DaniAlla And Her BFF > [I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-just-got-lost-in-thought-it-was-unfamiliar-territory/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [This morning I suddenly catch myself: I'm not there, I'm so lost in thought, I don't know what's going on around me. Can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kamienska/this-morning-i-suddenly-catch-myself-i-m-not-there-i-m-so-lost-in/) [Anna Kamienska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kamienska/) > [An arrow may fly through the air and leave no trace; but an ill thought leaves a trail like a serpent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-mackay/an-arrow-may-fly-through-the-air-and-leave-no-trace-but-an-ill/) [Charles Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-mackay/) > [meditation is a way of developing clarity, which allows us to see the precision of daily life situations as well as our thought process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/meditation-is-a-way-of-developing-clarity-which-allows-us-to-see-the/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [We are all prisoners of our thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-are-all-prisoners-of-our-thoughts/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [I walked toward her office,lost in thought about Lish, and poor Steve,and all the other souls I'd sent out of this life,some quite literally.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersten-white/i-walked-toward-her-office-lost-in-thought-about-lish-and-poor-steve/) [Kiersten White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersten-white/) > [Then there is the matter of my mother's abandonment of me. Again, this is the common experience. They walk ahead of us, and walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/then-there-is-the-matter-of-my-mother-s-abandonment-of-me-again-this/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/when-you-lose-touch-with-yourself-you-lose-yourself-in-the-world/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) ## More by Sam Harris > [“Moderates in every faith are obliged to loosely interpret (or simply ignore) much of their canons in the interests of living in the modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/moderates-in-every-faith-are-obliged-to-loosely-interpret-or-simply/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. 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The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-second-commandment-is-thou-shall-not-construct-any-graven-images/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“But the reality of consciousness appears irreducible. Only consciousness can know itself—and directly, through first-person experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/but-the-reality-of-consciousness-appears-irreducible-only/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Whether or not one likes Huntington's formulation, one thing is clear: the evil that has finally reached our shores is not merely the evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/whether-or-not-one-likes-huntington-s-formulation-one-thing-is-clear/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The problem is that religion tends to give people bad reasons to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-problem-is-that-religion-tends-to-give-people-bad-reasons-to-be/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Muslim moderates, wherever they are, must be given every tool necessary to win a war of ideas with their co-religionists. Otherwise, we will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/muslim-moderates-wherever-they-are-must-be-given-every-tool-necessary/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The idea that any one of our religions represents the infallible word of the One True God requires an encyclopedic ignorance of history, mythology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-idea-that-any-one-of-our-religions-represents-the-infallible-word/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“What could possibly cause billions of human beings to reconsider their religious beliefs? And yet, it is obvious that an utter revolution in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/what-could-possibly-cause-billions-of-human-beings-to-reconsider/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) [Explore all 543 Sam Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) ## More Habit quotes > [I would drink gallons of coffee a day. Even now, off caffeine, I talk faster than anyone you've ever met. I finally recognized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/i-would-drink-gallons-of-coffee-a-day-even-now-off-caffeine-i-talk/) [Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/) > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/chaos-often-breeds-life-when-order-breeds-habit/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“A lot of habitually creative people have preparation rituals linked to the setting in which they choose to start their day. By putting themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/a-lot-of-habitually-creative-people-have-preparation-rituals-linked/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [One of the noblest words in our language is "grace," defined as "unearned blessing." We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [Cultivate the habit of thinking ahead, and of anticipating the necessary and immediate consequences of all your actions… Likewise in your pleasures, ask yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/cultivate-the-habit-of-thinking-ahead-and-of-anticipating-the/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“Habits form and habits grow, Then some time later, habits go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-rajarshi-mukhopadhyay/habits-form-and-habits-grow-then-some-time-later-habits-go/) Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay > [It is a good practice to write at least on page of mantra daily. Many people get better concentration by writing than by chanting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/it-is-a-good-practice-to-write-at-least-on-page-of-mantra-daily-many/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [I feel that between my experience and my mother's, breast cancer is a little bit like someone who lives next door. I know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-nixon/i-feel-that-between-my-experience-and-my-mother-s-breast-cancer-is-a/) [Cynthia Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-nixon/) > [Thirty days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or subtract a habit - like watching the news…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cutts/thirty-days-is-just-about-the-right-amount-of-time-to-add-a-new-habit/) [Matt Cutts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cutts/) > [Working at home is hard. It tends to give you bad habits. It feels more like you're going to work when you get up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-beaton/working-at-home-is-hard-it-tends-to-give-you-bad-habits-it-feels-more/) [Kate Beaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-beaton/) > [There are two sorts of content; one is connected with exertion, the other with habits of indolence. 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I've read convincing interpretations of my work, and sometimes I've noticed something that I wasn't aware of, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sherman/i-don-t-analyze-what-i-m-doing-i-ve-read-convincing-interpretations/) [Cindy Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sherman/) [Browse all 4,726 Habit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The habit of spending nearly every waking moment lost in thought leaves us at the mercy of whatever our thoughts happen to be. 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