An interesting interview with actor/author/comedian Stephen Fry. His main point here, I think, is to emphasize the spiritual value of shifting focus from oneself to others. This is an insight I understand intellectually, but I often forget about it in my zeal to delve ever deeper into my own subjective experience in search of truth and wisdom. Reflecting back on the most profoundly transformative times in my life, I must admit that this inward focus often took a back seat to an intense engagement with other people. Of course, it’s not an either/or scenario, and we can all benefit from inner, self-focused work as well as from passionate social engagement. Fry’s commentary is a good reminder, though, for folks like myself who tend toward an overly-individualistic, me-against-the-world style of bootstrap spirituality.
Reflections on attention, self-knowledge, and the mental health profession.