thoughts of purity; instead of obscurity. making sense of information overload

[wind3d]

Being a human, I am worried about "our" future. I, as an individual , am not big on being social, or animated, but that does not mean I am not concerned about the progress of our existence, as humans. With that said;

Progress in society, or even the hope of such, is why I continue to read the tickers, why I continue to hold out not only hope, but raw belief in inherit sanity. That is the best thing I can do. From the reading of the ticker, to the idea of being a father, I HAVE HOPE of seeing progress happen, and I know that my child will be immune to what is happening now, because I am the one that is suffering now in order to pass on valuable lessons to the next generation. And you guys are too...

Everything we have achieved thus far as a species are products of peer contemplation - working together and sharing ideas. Most of what any individual has discovered is tied back to the dedication and man-hours of other individuals before us. It is (hopefully), an endless pattern that builds upon it's self forever. We have yet to go from a crawl to a walk magically, in between there have been milestones achieved by numerous members of the scientific community, and then some. But still, it's baby steps. It is evolutions version of climbing the technological ladder.

For example, Copernicus shed light on society's long standing belief of the Earth being the center of all as completely false. Back in those times, you have to realize that such claim was completely and utterly before its time, with the powers that be of religion and the idea of being decapitated being major obstacles in the way of scientific revolution. Yes, the weight of fairy-tail religious beliefs throughout time has put immeasurable constraints on the progress of science as we know it. Yet still, Copernicus showed us otherwise. Even though Copernicus had errors in his theory, he undoubtedly lead us to our current understanding of the universe as we know it now. Conclusion of new, stems from the conclusion of old! There is always a step beyond.

So you see, roughly (hopefully),  all of what we understand is dependent on what these wonderful minds have taught us from the past, and it should be known that when these minds were doing their thinking, they were no different than you or anyone else except in their abstractness! They too were regular college students, had normal lives, they were just like everyone else, they just refused to compare themselves to a status quo.

So, to any individual that is going to devote energy on obtaining a career, or going to college and getting a degree, just remember that passion is key. Also remember that being a human is not some theme park ride, it is an absolute privilege, or should be atleast. Do not let the fast pace of life hide this from you!   You, I, and all of us are extremely privileged life forms that have many gifts, such as collaboration of one another, empathy of one another, emotion as a whole, I mean how many of you folks don't constantly try to think of new inventions or ideas? How special is our character set as a whole? Really, incredibly special.

This is a long essay. Filled with emotion, filled with hard points in life, but at the same time, isn't it refreshing to be looking into yourself as a person, instead of looking into something else you aren't quite sure of?! To me, this is why I keep on ticking, to say all of this, means I am a HUMAN, and to feel that at least half of you are understanding what I am saying helps me feel like I am doing what I am supposed to do. Spread the love. Spread the awareness. If your heart is beating, you are a friend of mine. I just dont feel like my purpose in life is fulfilling a 9 to 5 slot for a money hungry corporation. 9 to 1, MAYBE, but 40 hours a week, not a chance. Thanks for reading, and if you ARE reading, know that that alone puts you in a higher intellectual spot than most others. that is worth smiling about!

be sure to drink your ovaltine-

wind

[Xanth]

I try to worry less about humanities spiritual direction and more about my own personal spiritual direction.
It's not that I don't care about "us", it's just that I only have so much energy.  I'm a firm believer that you need to fix within, before you can fix without.   

[Stookie]

Those are some great thoughts wind3d. I ponder much of that same stuff, as I work daily in strip-mall suburban America, and are surrounded by people who seem mostly focused on what they are going to be doing next, rather than experiencing the moment. Society today seems stale, no direction, no creativity. As old buildings are torn down, new uninspiring non-artistic architecture replaces it. Even "revitalization projects" seem solely focused on bringing in more revenue, rather than actually improving a community. Our cell phones, while supposedly bring us closer together, are actually pushing us apart. We can have all our communication with other people without it interfering with what we're "doing next".

I believe that by taking the time as individuals to relax and focus and grow inwardly, it will begin to focus itself in an outward way to the people that are around you. Not necessarily through conversation, but actions and attitude and way of life. There will be something in you that others notice (maybe only subconsciously) that will maybe inspire that sleeping part of themselves to grow. Bringing passion and positive emotion into your personal life is bound to effect those around you in one form or another, consciously or not.

(I know I have a lot more to say, just don't have the time right now)

[interception]

Having worked in Africa for many years I have seen how easily societies can stagnate and regress. Politicians that are utterly incompetent... selfish "leaders" who should not even be in charge of a sandpit, let alone a municipality. I have seen a strange dichotomy of dirt poor unwashed people walking around with brand new 3G capable cellphones... and on the extreme end of the scale: the warlords, those who destroy everything around them in their selfish greed. The tired list of crap goes on and on...

And yet I remain positive and hopeful about the future of humanity as a whole.  One has to.