These last few days have been...interesting. The 2016 Presidential Election is finally over (though the string of political posts remain ever-popular) and after seeing how the people around me have reacted it is clear to me that the people of the U.S. are in disarray. With recent stories of shootings, beatings, and general assault coming from all across the nation, I've been thinking about the humanity in its current state from a modern (though possibly ) perspective.
I think the world's in a mess, and despite our technological progress our social skills have increasingly diminished as we've become comfortable with talking with each other from a distance; through a screen. Instead of talking through problems people block out the voices we disagree them with a simple 'unfriend' button. Dating in the real world has been replaced with websites and apps that match people for them. We've come to judge people from a profile description and some pictures and decide with a simple swipe of a finger. Physical interaction has been reduced to a conversation of mutual agreement prior to any action because so many of us have become out-of-touch with our instincts and ability to read others' emotions. Sexuality has been over hyped and it's made the world obsessed with it whether it's our own prerogative or the pop-culture that influences the minds of the many.
The modern world has provided us with so many conveniences and niceties that it almost seems like it actually discourages us from working hard anymore. As long as you have money, you can get anything fast and with ease. Yet rates of depression are on the rise and despite the increasing abundance of resources due to the continued urbanization of the world, people generally aren't satisfied with their lives. Most aren't satisfied with their jobs. Marriage as an institution has become a joke with current divorce rates.
Many developed nations claim to be at the top of the progressive food-chain yet they're also riddled with inconsistencies. We talk about how far we've progressed yet the people who receive and graduate with a higher education represent the vast minority of the people in the world. Many who do graduate end up not being able to use the knowledge they gained due to a lack of experience and have to settle for a two-bit office job or working retail. These people often end up not having a clue as to what to do. Children are growing up in a world that's just as confused and thus the cycle continues.
So what now?
This is a topic that is very broad and requires extensive research to really narrow down the root causes. Being someone a man of instinct more often than not, I tend to use empirical evidence from my own life experiences and have tried to reason how all of the pieces fit together. The tragedy of the commons is something that we are, as a people, very well aware of. Our resources aren't infinite. We'll eventually run out of clean water. We may very well run out of food (with real nutritional value) to feed everyone. Major cities are overcrowded. The amazon forests, which may have taken thousands of years to get to that point, are being torn down acre by acre to provide us resources for a few years. The Earth's minerals are being used to power our devices at the expense of people's lives.
We have the world at the palm of our hands, yet it seems we are powerless to stop our destruction from happening. We all have our differing opinions and can't seem to come to a consensus that benefits both man and nature. It is as if humanity is running from death and the end only becomes more grim the further we fight the inevitable. Every beginning has an end, so what will ours look like? I think it is interesting to think about.
I digress, the answer I have right now is that we've become detached from one another. In this cold, status-oriented world, I think love is something many of us have forgotten. Not love in the sense of romance Disney and other pop-culture influences perpetuate, but the acceptance of our fellow man to be who they strive to be. The ability to remain civil toward our kinsmen despite our differences. We're all just hanging out on this Earth. No need to crash the party, yeah?
I think a lot of us struggle with learning to love ourselves (I know I do) and so it creates a ripple effect in our lives that distances ourselves from those around us. While it isn't the solution that will solve everything, I think starting with working on the self and learning to love oneself is the first step to a long list of things we can do to create a longer-lasting peace compared to what we've had in the last few centuries (if not millennia).
Peace
I think the world's in a mess, and despite our technological progress our social skills have increasingly diminished as we've become comfortable with talking with each other from a distance; through a screen. Instead of talking through problems people block out the voices we disagree them with a simple 'unfriend' button. Dating in the real world has been replaced with websites and apps that match people for them. We've come to judge people from a profile description and some pictures and decide with a simple swipe of a finger. Physical interaction has been reduced to a conversation of mutual agreement prior to any action because so many of us have become out-of-touch with our instincts and ability to read others' emotions. Sexuality has been over hyped and it's made the world obsessed with it whether it's our own prerogative or the pop-culture that influences the minds of the many.
The modern world has provided us with so many conveniences and niceties that it almost seems like it actually discourages us from working hard anymore. As long as you have money, you can get anything fast and with ease. Yet rates of depression are on the rise and despite the increasing abundance of resources due to the continued urbanization of the world, people generally aren't satisfied with their lives. Most aren't satisfied with their jobs. Marriage as an institution has become a joke with current divorce rates.
Many developed nations claim to be at the top of the progressive food-chain yet they're also riddled with inconsistencies. We talk about how far we've progressed yet the people who receive and graduate with a higher education represent the vast minority of the people in the world. Many who do graduate end up not being able to use the knowledge they gained due to a lack of experience and have to settle for a two-bit office job or working retail. These people often end up not having a clue as to what to do. Children are growing up in a world that's just as confused and thus the cycle continues.
So what now?
This is a topic that is very broad and requires extensive research to really narrow down the root causes. Being someone a man of instinct more often than not, I tend to use empirical evidence from my own life experiences and have tried to reason how all of the pieces fit together. The tragedy of the commons is something that we are, as a people, very well aware of. Our resources aren't infinite. We'll eventually run out of clean water. We may very well run out of food (with real nutritional value) to feed everyone. Major cities are overcrowded. The amazon forests, which may have taken thousands of years to get to that point, are being torn down acre by acre to provide us resources for a few years. The Earth's minerals are being used to power our devices at the expense of people's lives.
We have the world at the palm of our hands, yet it seems we are powerless to stop our destruction from happening. We all have our differing opinions and can't seem to come to a consensus that benefits both man and nature. It is as if humanity is running from death and the end only becomes more grim the further we fight the inevitable. Every beginning has an end, so what will ours look like? I think it is interesting to think about.
I digress, the answer I have right now is that we've become detached from one another. In this cold, status-oriented world, I think love is something many of us have forgotten. Not love in the sense of romance Disney and other pop-culture influences perpetuate, but the acceptance of our fellow man to be who they strive to be. The ability to remain civil toward our kinsmen despite our differences. We're all just hanging out on this Earth. No need to crash the party, yeah?
I think a lot of us struggle with learning to love ourselves (I know I do) and so it creates a ripple effect in our lives that distances ourselves from those around us. While it isn't the solution that will solve everything, I think starting with working on the self and learning to love oneself is the first step to a long list of things we can do to create a longer-lasting peace compared to what we've had in the last few centuries (if not millennia).
What do you think?
Peace
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| There's a beautiful world out there and so many are missing out on it |
There is so much to consider when it comes to changing the world for the better. Of course, humanity can't "save the world" when we can't even help ourselves. So what things would you like to see change in order to realize a balanced future?
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