Subtle shifts in language can sometimes have surprising consequences. The language of attention seems particularly loaded with economic and value-oriented metaphors, such as when we speak of paying attention or imagine our attention as a scarce resource we must either waste or horde. However, to my ears, the related language of attending to the... See more

The word "attention" comes from Latin attendere - literally "to stretch toward." We're always orienting ourselves around something, whether we recognize it or not. What are we stretching toward, and what are we straining to avoid