Capitalism Profiting from Mindfulness?- The Integration of Mindfulness within Institutions

Mindfulness has been adopted within corporate culture as a means to alleviate the onset stress embedded within the workplace. Companies have adopted mindfulness practices and mindful labour due to this desire for productivity in an innovated based world. This article from Vox demonstrates how something that was adopted for the purpose of self-reflection has been exploited in a capitalist ecosystem. Melissa Gregg's chapter, "Mindful Labour" exhibits why the notion of mindful labour has been so significant within corporate culture and its purpose. This phenomenon has generated attention, causing it to become exploited for profit. Ironically, mindfulness is a tactic used to subdue the stress, anxiety, and inadequacy affiliated with the capitalist based society. The exploitation of mindfulness through various products, experiences, and strategies seems to counteract the purpose of mindfulness. Can there ever be an escape from a capitalist worldview and is everything a means of exploitation?

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/3/29/18264703/mindfulness-meditation-buddhism-david-forbes

This article uses an interview with author David Forbes who wrote Mindfulness and Its Discontents to understand why this has occurred and if mindfulness is ever going to be more than a means of capitalist profit in Western society.

Comments

  1. Tyler CApril 18, 2019 at 5:57 PM

    This is a very interesting article regarding peace of mind in the hectic society in which we live.

    It's a truth that advertising tends to create problems in the mind of the consumer in order to 'fix' the very problem through product purchasing. Capitalism requires companies to make as much profit as possible, and even shady tactics will provide a means to an end. Meditation and mindfulness seem to provide a solution to these mental tricks, and one may be able to find meaning through their own mind rather than the purchasing of mindless products.
    More to the point of the article, mindfulness is becoming a tactic used for workers to reduce stress and create happier employees. In my opinion, higher pay and more lenient off-time may be a better solution- but I'm open to the idea of a new mental state being a potential fix for short-term stress. I'm curious to see if more companies adopt this in the future!

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