Losing oneself in thought, or in dreaming dreams - to the point of being unaware of one's surroundings or actions - is a cerebral pleasure available only to the unemployed idler. As such, the condition of being absentminded is neither superior nor inferior to, but merely different from and related to that Zen-like engaged-yet-detached attentiveness, or "mindfulness," which characterizes true idleness. See: DAYDREAMER, DISTRACTED, DREAMER, FORGETFUL, IDLENESS, THOUGHTLESS, MIND-WANDERING.