Another article to stir our senses, Todd. I agree that screens, social media, a lack of connection to spirituality/God, being told what to do and how to think vs using critical thinking analysis, and not playing just to play but playing to achieve. All of these things remove a humanness that you can only experience if you actually feel and experience vs watch and think.
The young people today want what I call, "the movie star lifestyle". They want things. There is no achievement in anything less. You are judged by the job you have, the things you own, the clothes you wear, the car you drive. It all smells like success (so they think). People like this may get something out of the book, "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari".
In my eyes, it is human nature to resist this mindless pursuit. But not to begin with, it is human nature to satisfy the senses first, but eventually that wears thin, and people "pass through" that phase. That "passing through" doesn't seem to be happening, and people stick with the hedonistic lifestyle their entire life.
Because this is essentially against human nature (to be a hedonist for a lifetime), I believe this is all agenda-driven and has been since day one. A zombie is easier to control. If everyone is flattened out into the same pancake, then they become predictable and easily manipulated. (Read "Brave New World" or "Fahrenheit 451" for more insight on this idea.)
This realization took a long time for me to reach, but I am pretty confident this is what is going on. Maybe I am paranoid and looking for something to blame, but I don't think so.
I sometimes wonder what the world would look like if there was a massive EMP and all the scrying mirrors went dead. Would the addicts collapse into a coma, or would they finally see that they have been bewitched, and throw off their shackles.
When I was in High School, I was fascinated by Poe, he was a Virginian, like me at the time. I wrote an English paper on him, and it was one of the few times I actually applied myself to schoolwork. I have not seriously read him (after High School I lost interest for no reason other than other things interested me!)
Your entry today has sparked something, and I am going to read Poe again (I never got very far back in the day.)
I "fell in love with" Poe's stories at an early age and thoroughly enjoyed the many, somewhat campy movies based upon them. (Vincent Price was a past master at serious camp). Poe was akin to a rather depressed Ambrose Bierce in that he looked at the dark side of the human spirit and demonstrated the evil that arose when it remained unconscious. Happy reading to you:)
I'm afraid it is a "bottom-up" solution, meaning it would take a few generations of change to be wholly effective. There is one thing we could do (but never would) that could be incredibly effective very quickly (top-down solution). Take away cellphones (smartphones) and most social media.
Actually, since taking away social media is a freedom of speech issue, removing the cellphones or access to them would be enough to make a start.
Another article to stir our senses, Todd. I agree that screens, social media, a lack of connection to spirituality/God, being told what to do and how to think vs using critical thinking analysis, and not playing just to play but playing to achieve. All of these things remove a humanness that you can only experience if you actually feel and experience vs watch and think.
The young people today want what I call, "the movie star lifestyle". They want things. There is no achievement in anything less. You are judged by the job you have, the things you own, the clothes you wear, the car you drive. It all smells like success (so they think). People like this may get something out of the book, "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari".
In my eyes, it is human nature to resist this mindless pursuit. But not to begin with, it is human nature to satisfy the senses first, but eventually that wears thin, and people "pass through" that phase. That "passing through" doesn't seem to be happening, and people stick with the hedonistic lifestyle their entire life.
Because this is essentially against human nature (to be a hedonist for a lifetime), I believe this is all agenda-driven and has been since day one. A zombie is easier to control. If everyone is flattened out into the same pancake, then they become predictable and easily manipulated. (Read "Brave New World" or "Fahrenheit 451" for more insight on this idea.)
This realization took a long time for me to reach, but I am pretty confident this is what is going on. Maybe I am paranoid and looking for something to blame, but I don't think so.
I sometimes wonder what the world would look like if there was a massive EMP and all the scrying mirrors went dead. Would the addicts collapse into a coma, or would they finally see that they have been bewitched, and throw off their shackles.
Good thought to ponder. I think they would finally see they have been bewitched, after first collapsing into a temporary coma.
Alone
From childhood’s hour I have not been
As others were—I have not seen
As others saw—I could not bring
My passions from a common spring—
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow—I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone—
And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone—
Then—in my childhood—in the dawn
Of a most stormy life—was drawn
From ev’ry depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still—
From the torrent, or the fountain—
From the red cliff of the mountain—
From the sun that ’round me roll’d
In its autumn tint of gold—
From the lightning in the sky
As it pass’d me flying by—
From the thunder, and the storm—
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view—
~ Edgar Allan Poe
Many may be called but few will respond to the internal daimon.
When I was in High School, I was fascinated by Poe, he was a Virginian, like me at the time. I wrote an English paper on him, and it was one of the few times I actually applied myself to schoolwork. I have not seriously read him (after High School I lost interest for no reason other than other things interested me!)
Your entry today has sparked something, and I am going to read Poe again (I never got very far back in the day.)
I "fell in love with" Poe's stories at an early age and thoroughly enjoyed the many, somewhat campy movies based upon them. (Vincent Price was a past master at serious camp). Poe was akin to a rather depressed Ambrose Bierce in that he looked at the dark side of the human spirit and demonstrated the evil that arose when it remained unconscious. Happy reading to you:)
Poe had a very interesting life aside from his writing!
How do we re-animate them?
I'm afraid it is a "bottom-up" solution, meaning it would take a few generations of change to be wholly effective. There is one thing we could do (but never would) that could be incredibly effective very quickly (top-down solution). Take away cellphones (smartphones) and most social media.
Actually, since taking away social media is a freedom of speech issue, removing the cellphones or access to them would be enough to make a start.