On the way to mindfulness: How a focus on outcomes (even good outcomes) prevents good outcomes

Abstract

Mindfulness (Langer 1989) has been shown to accrue innumerable heath and psychological benefits to those who practice it (Langer and Moldoveanu 2000). Given such remarkable outcomes, the question becomes-why not be mindful? In this paper, Langer’s theories of mindfulness (1989) and control (1983) are linked to a motivational theory that illustrates how a focus on outcomes (even good outcomes) prevents persons from stably inhabiting mindful state, and all its subsequent positive outcomes. The path to overcoming this paradoxical obstacle, and toward a process orientation (Langer 1983) that is necessary for mindfulness, is outlined.