--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The principal enemy of mindfulness—or of…" description: "\"“The principal enemy of mindfulness—or of any meditative practice—is our deeply conditioned habit of being distracted by thoughts. The problem is not t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84b/sam-harris-457_habits_the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of_2268195.jpg" --- # The principal enemy of mindfulness—or of any meditative… ![“The principal enemy of mindfulness—or of any meditative practice—is our deeply conditioned habit of being distracted by thoughts. The problem is not thoughts themselves but the state of thinking without knowing that we are thinking.” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84b/sam-harris-457_habits_the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of_2268195.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84b/sam-harris-457_habits_the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of_2268195.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84b/sam-harris-457_habits_the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of_2268195.jpg) > ““The principal enemy of mindfulness—or of any meditative practice—is our deeply conditioned habit of being distracted by thoughts. The problem is not thoughts themselves but the state of thinking without knowing that we are thinking.”” [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. Mindfulness is hindered by habitual distraction; the issue is not thoughts but unawareness of thinking, urging meta‑cognitive monitoring. **In simple terms:** Distraction blocks mindfulness; notice your thoughts. Key Takeaway Practice observing thoughts without judgment. Themes mindfulness thoughts awareness distraction Mood calm thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - meditation - daily routines - stress management Key Concepts meta‑cognition mental habits Questions to Reflect On - How can you cultivate non‑judgmental awareness? - What habits increase mental distraction? A Different Perspective Constant monitoring can be exhausting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Distracted Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distracted-thoughts-559676/) [Enemy Mindfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy-mindfulness-5246824/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Meditative Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditative-practice-503660/) [Mental health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-health/) [Mindfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness/) [Mindfulness Meditative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness-meditative-1583472/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) ## Related quotes > [“In the second training, we develop energy, concentration, and mindfulness. These are the meditative and life tools that enable us to awaken. Without them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goldstein/in-the-second-training-we-develop-energy-concentration-and/) [Joseph Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goldstein/) > [“remained constantly distracted, his thoughts and eyes inexorably drawn to the parked PT Cruiser and the unknown roads it promised to carry him down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-harmon/remained-constantly-distracted-his-thoughts-and-eyes-inexorably-drawn/) [Brian Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-harmon/) > [Most people are so distracted by their thoughts, so identified with the voices in their heads, they no longer feel the aliveness within them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/most-people-are-so-distracted-by-their-thoughts-so-identified-with/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“As a mother you have thoughts. You get interrupted. You forget. You are distracted. Your thoughts and ideas become fragmented, diluted, or simply evaporate.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-banks-baum/as-a-mother-you-have-thoughts-you-get-interrupted-you-forget-you-are/) [Suzi Banks Baum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-banks-baum/) > [Our mind is always subject to being distracted by thoughts of what happened in the past and ideas of what could happen in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/our-mind-is-always-subject-to-being-distracted-by-thoughts-of-what/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [“Parker sat on the opposite end of the couch, distracted by thoughts of the coming year and all the secrets it kept from her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-slovin/parker-sat-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-couch-distracted-by-thoughts-of/) [Abby Slovin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-slovin/) > [Look at how beautiful life is, and just keep looking until you see it. You don't see what is in front of you because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/look-at-how-beautiful-life-is-and-just-keep-looking-until-you-see-it/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I've gotten this advice at different times, and it distills down to one word: purpose. Why are you here? When you start to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-ve-gotten-this-advice-at-different-times-and-it-distills-down-to/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [I always wonder when people have any kind of spiritual and meditative practice especially if it's one designed in part to help them cope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/i-always-wonder-when-people-have-any-kind-of-spiritual-and-meditative/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) > [If you can integrate your life to have a kind of meditative practice that is considering others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/if-you-can-integrate-your-life-to-have-a-kind-of-meditative-practice/) [Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/) > [The real meditative practice is to open up to the full range of what happens in life. And parenting is a fantastic arena for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/the-real-meditative-practice-is-to-open-up-to-the-full-range-of-what/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Practice meditating on the heart chakra. This is only one of them, but it's quite good for the first few years of your meditative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/practice-meditating-on-the-heart-chakra-this-is-only-one-of-them-but/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [When you have grown accustomed to sitting and meditating, try to stop your thoughts. That's the bottom line in meditative practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-you-have-grown-accustomed-to-sitting-and-meditating-try-to-stop/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“A body scan is a meditative practice in which you focus on each part of every area, often beginning at the toes and moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-scott/a-body-scan-is-a-meditative-practice-in-which-you-focus-on-each-part/) [S.J. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-scott/) > [“Ultimately we don’t have to do anything to attain vairagya (dispassion; detachment) but hold to our meditative practice to reveal the source of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-hill/ultimately-we-don-t-have-to-do-anything-to-attain-vairagya-dispassion/) [Dennis Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-hill/) ## 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. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally-religious-scientists-like/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [We have Christians against Muslims against Jews, and no matter how liberal your theology, merely identifying yourself as a Christian or a Jew lends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-have-christians-against-muslims-against-jews-and-no-matter-how/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Your principal concern appears to be that the Creator of the universe will take offense at something people do while naked. This prudery of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/your-principal-concern-appears-to-be-that-the-creator-of-the-universe/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“As manuals for contemplative understanding, the Bible and the Koran are worse than useless. Whatever wisdom can be found in their pages is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/as-manuals-for-contemplative-understanding-the-bible-and-the-koran/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [About 120 million of us place the big bang 2,500 years after the Babylonians and Sumerians learned to brew beer. If our polls are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/about-120-million-of-us-place-the-big-bang-2-500-years-after-the/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“If your golf instructor were to insist that you shave your head, sleep no more than four hours each night, renounce sex, and subsist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-your-golf-instructor-were-to-insist-that-you-shave-your-head-sleep/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The fact that one can lose one's sense of self in an ocean of tranquility does not mean that one's consciousness is immaterial or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-fact-that-one-can-lose-one-s-sense-of-self-in-an-ocean-of/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The second commandment is "Thou shall not construct any graven images." Is this really the pinnacle of what we can achieve morally? 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 Habits quotes > [“Malchut is also the Alma D’Itgalya, “the Revealed World.” Here our latent potential is actualized through behavior and expression.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laibl-wolf/malchut-is-also-the-alma-d-itgalya-the-revealed-world-here-our-latent/) [Laibl Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laibl-wolf/) > [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/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I doubt that we Americans can come to terms with our money neuroses without understanding the more florid pathology of the very rich for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-slater/i-doubt-that-we-americans-can-come-to-terms-with-our-money-neuroses/) [Philip Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-slater/) > [Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/winning-is-a-habit-unfortunately-so-is-losing/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) > [“the mind-numbing routine. It was the castration of thought,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/the-mind-numbing-routine-it-was-the-castration-of-thought/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [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/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When it comes to smarts, adolescents like Jesse have plenty. What they lack, however, are some of the brain-based skills that we all need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-guare/when-it-comes-to-smarts-adolescents-like-jesse-have-plenty-what-they/) [Richard Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-guare/) > [“I settled into a contented routine of working, spending my free time with Veronica and, back in my student room, wanking explosively to fantasies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/i-settled-into-a-contented-routine-of-working-spending-my-free-time/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [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/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you're in a meeting and a man talks loudly over you, rather than copying that behaviour and normalising it, what you could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-foster/if-you-re-in-a-meeting-and-a-man-talks-loudly-over-you-rather-than/) [Dawn Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-foster/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) [Browse all 12,567 Habits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The principal enemy of mindfulness—or of any meditative practice—is our deeply conditioned habit of being distracted by thoughts. The problem is not thoughts themselves but the state of thinking without knowing that we are thinking.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Harris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of-any-meditative-practice-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Habits" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of-any-meditative-practice-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84b/sam-harris-457_habits_the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of_2268195.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84b/sam-harris-457_habits_the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of_2268195.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/84b/sam-harris-457_habits_the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of_2268195.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The principal enemy of mindfulness—or of any meditative practice—is our deeply conditioned habit of being…” — Sam Harris", "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": "Sam Harris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The principal enemy of mindfulness—or of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of-any-meditative-practice-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-principal-enemy-of-mindfulness-or-of-any-meditative-practice-is/#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 } } ] } ```