The concept of mindfulness revolves around certain psychological states that are really different versions of the same thing: (1) openness to novelty; (2) alertness to distinction; (3) sensitivity to different contexts; (4) implicit, if not explicit, awareness of multiple perspectives; and (5) orientation in the present. Each leads to the others and back to itself. Learning a subject or skill with an openness to novelty and actively noticing differences, contexts, and perspectives — sideways learning — makes us receptive to changes in an ongoing situation.
— Ellen J. Langer, The Power of Mindful Learning