Being in nature upgrades your attention...This was a thought that stayed with me while listening to the book Stolen Focus by Johann Hari.
The book sparked a lot of moments where I found myself pausing and reflecting. It helped me understand why I value photography so deeply. In many ways, photography has nudged me toward a more intentional, slower, and meaningful way of living.
There are two ideas from the book I want to share with you.
Idea 1: Fragmentation vs Flow
Johann writes about how both internal and external forces constantly pull us away from a state of flow.
We live in a world that is always competing for our attention, often leaving us fragmented. Our surroundings are designed to distract us, and our minds absorb far more than we realize.
He mentions how in 1986, the average person consumed the equivalent of 40 newspapers worth of information every day - across TV, radio, and reading. By 2007, that number had risen to 174. The increase in volume of information is what creates the sensation of the world speeding up.
This number has surely grown exponentially in the age of AI.
Think about it? When was the last time you experienced a truly quiet moment. No phone, no music, no distractions. Just living in the present.
For me, most of those moments have happened when I am surrounded by nature and particularly when I am photographing it.
Practicing photography has taught me to see, to observe, and to stay with a moment (even if I don’t have my camera with me). Over time, I’ve noticed how it quietly upgrades my attention - I begin to catch subtle shifts in light, small changes in my surroundings, and details that would otherwise pass me by. Even something as simple as watching trees pass by during a long car ride (I’ve spent more time in the car since moving back to India) can slow everything down, creating space for stillness.
Through photography and the time I've spent in nature, I’ve experienced what a life filled with deep focus feels like.
And I’ve come to believe that a life filled with lots of episodes of deep focus is a good life.
Johann also mentions how we all have a choice now between two profound forces - fragmentation or flow.
- Fragmentation makes you smaller - shallower, more reactive. It shrinks us.
- Flow makes you bigger - deeper, calmer, more present. It expands us.
Ask yourself: which force are you choosing to prioritize?
And be honest with your answer. If you don’t like the answer that's come up, start small.
Notice subtle changes in your surroundings. Watch how light plays with water reflections. Stand under a tree and look up. Spend time in nature without distractions - and observe how, slowly, your attention begins to deepen and improve.
Idea 2 - The medium is the message
In the book Stolen Focus, Johann Hari also discusses the famous idea by Marshall McLuhan “The medium is the message”. He says every time a new medium comes along, like a printed book or TV or twitter, it’s like you’re putting on a new form of goggles. Each set of goggles you put on makes you see things differently. It’s not just the information that matters, but the way it reaches us. The medium itself changes how we think, what we notice, and how deeply we engage.
Below are a few examples he shares,
What is the message of the medium the printed book?
- Life is complex and if you want to understand it you have to set aside a fair bit of time to think deeply about it.
- You need to slow down.
- There is a value in leaving behind your other concerns and narrowing down your attention to one thing.
- It is worth thinking deeply about how other people live and how their minds work. They have complex inner lives just like you.
What is the message of the medium of social media?
- You shouldn't focus on any one thing for long, the world can and should be understood in short and simple statements.
- The world should be interpreted and confidently understood very quickly.
- Your life exists to be displayed to other people.
- Somebody is only your friend if you regularly look at their their edited highlight feeds and they look at yours.
This got me thinking what is the message of the medium of photography?
- The things you find interesting matter.
- Don't be afraid to share how YOU view the world.
- You can find joy in ordinary and simple moments of life.
- Beauty surrounds us everywhere, it's just at matter of paying attention.
- What you choose to focus on is just as important as what you choose to exclude from the frame.
- Be open to different perspectives.
- Embrace curiosity.
Questions to reflect on
What are some steps you can take to reconsider your relationship with distraction?
How can you prioritize and experience deep forms of focus?
Think about which medium you want to choose to get a bulk of your information from?
What do you think is the message of the medium of photography?
