The Attention Economy: Why Your Focus Is the Most Valuable Currency in the World

Ep 112.  Attention in our electronic age is considered the new currency of commerce and influence of the global human masses and we are moving unerringly in the direction of growing electronic interface and dependence that is quickly going beyond what roboticists in the 1970's feared when first positing of the uncanny valley. The crevasse has become a crack on the sidewalk and we have willingly crossed it with little concern for the consequences of growing dependence. Attention however is a human currency of validation and given social worth and value to people and their behaviors that are socially acceptable and in line with our personal values as well as the larger community values. However, in the current political climate and in the past we have seen a trend of legacy media attention on the negative side of human nature and the fomenting of anger, irritability and acting out based on distorted shared political ideals. We are being fed the negatives of national and global tribalism that is distilled to the ugliness of us versus them while throwing out the most generative values of tribal village and that is tolerance, acceptance, kindness and nurturing and care of our neighbors not filtered through their differing beliefs. Let us use our attention in the direction of all the things that are doing well. I encourage you to make your everyday walk an authentic extension of your attention as a currency of kindness. Take care and walk well.