
The Mindfulness Conspiracy - Osiris30
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/14/the-mindfulness-conspiracy-capitalist-spirituality
======
lubujackson
There are some fudgy leaps of logic here, trying to make sweeping insights but
it is just undermining the whole thing for me. Like: "The ideological message
is that if you cannot alter the circumstances causing distress, you can change
your reactions to your circumstances. In some ways, this can be helpful, since
many things are not in our control. But to abandon all efforts to fix them
seems excessive."

Who is saying "abandon all efforts" to fix things? That is a total strawman
argument. Mindfulness is fine and helpful for fixing exactly the issues we
face in the world - I don't see how being stressed or overwhelmed helps anyone
improve things. Mindfulness is meant to give you space to make useful actions
rather than spin in place. Yes, the wheels of capitalism have inflated and
twisted the concept for profit, but it is quite a stretch to say it is some
sort of opiate for the masses to keep us docile.

If the Titanic is sinking, telling people to keep freaking out probably isn't
the best way to save lives. "Stay calm" doesn't solve things either, but I
feel like it gives you a better chance to find a raft, yes?

