Burning ghost wrote:Don't storm clouds look beautiful in the distance though?
Yes they do
That reminds me of a special day on the coast; sunny and warm. Looking out across the sea towards the horizon - there was a distinct line between the near blue sky and the low grey clouds gathering in a roll. The precursor to a heavy thunder and lightning storm which hit us in the car on the way home.
If we had stayed longer to appreciate the beautiful formation - we could call this a distant, detached 'aesthetic reality' - our bodies would have been hit by fearsome reality. At best we would have got soaked to the skin. But imagine being out on a boat. Think of the rush to find safe harbour. That's reality with no time for distraction. Up close and actual reality.
So, at least two types of reality: the aesthetic and the actual ?
Consciousness, or awareness, necessary for both.
Perhaps degree of distraction relates to different levels of reality. The closer any dangers of reality, the less room for distraction.
I conclude that reality in itself is not a distraction.
It seems I agree with Spectrum, again
and take on board his thoughts:
'To live optimally one has to understand the various perspectives of reality.
Perhaps the distraction from one perspective of reality is an attraction to another perspective of reality'