And thousands of women, or for that matter, thousands of men, go around fuming because they don t get enough attention or attentions. The complaint of most women after a few years of marriage is that the attentions Wilfred was so happy in giving years ago are no longer given. A man complains that his desires are not attended to by his wife and she doesn t pay much attention to how he feels. The job of giving attention, in the full meaning of the word, is a difficult one. And we won t give attention until we feel there s something in it for us.
Most people are afraid of giving attention.
To give attention would mean to give yourself, or have yourself go toward something, for the purpose of seeing it wholly as it is, and clearly. That is a big order. Attention is for the purpose of finding out about a person. But most persons want attention for the purpose of feeling important. We like attentions, certainly.