Philosophy - The Role of Focus

But you can catch yourself entertaining habitually certain ideas and setting others aside; and that, I think, is where our personal destinies are largely decided.

-Alfred North Whitehead

In her book "Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life," Winifred Gallagher argues that much of the quality of your life depends not on your personal circumstances or what fate brings your way, but on what you choose to pay attention to. You selectively focus on particular elements of the world at the expense of other details, and your mind and behaviour appropriately conform to the shape of your attention. This process subtly redirects your life, influencing your career, your location, your relationships and your interests. Interestingly, the same process also influences your attitude and quality of life. Someone who can spin a snowstorm into a pleasant opportunity to stay home and enjoy themselves is going to have a very different outlook on life than someone who seizes the chance to complain about inclement weather.