No one can deny that we are living in strange times. Every day some new discovery or research finding challenges the belief systems that we are brought up in. Since, it always seems that the other person is getting a better deal, the beliefs and practices of some other religion, some other culture appeal to us more than our own. We may not follow these practices but a part of us definitely wants to go ahead and try what the other religions and cultures have to offer.
A very good example of this, from the world around us, can be the increasing interest of the west in yoga and meditation and of the east in McDonald’s and Pizza Hut’s. No doubt that both these things are good in their own respective ways and not a lot of danger is involved in adopting these.
But what is dangerous is the mindless and blind following of anything just because some one tells us that it is good or just because it appears to be good. It is not without reason that it is said that, “All that glitters is not gold”.
Today, a person needs to be more aware and smarter than the humans of the past, that have lived on this earth before him or her. Every day there is a lot of propaganda and information fed to a person through various media like the TV, the internet, blogs, newspapers etc. With the increasing interest of the world in material things, these mediums of information broadcasting have ceased to be unbiased and are being governed by vested interests. In such times, one has to be discerning enough to separate the truth from what is represented as the truth.
All the things that have been mentioned above are true wonders of technology and are great gifts to mankind. But the sharper a sword is, the better and stronger the hand that wields that sword needs to be. Similarly, the further we advance, the smarter humans need to get or one fine day the fine sword may turn back and cut the hand that holds the sword.
A very good example of this, from the world around us, can be the increasing interest of the west in yoga and meditation and of the east in McDonald’s and Pizza Hut’s. No doubt that both these things are good in their own respective ways and not a lot of danger is involved in adopting these.
But what is dangerous is the mindless and blind following of anything just because some one tells us that it is good or just because it appears to be good. It is not without reason that it is said that, “All that glitters is not gold”.
Today, a person needs to be more aware and smarter than the humans of the past, that have lived on this earth before him or her. Every day there is a lot of propaganda and information fed to a person through various media like the TV, the internet, blogs, newspapers etc. With the increasing interest of the world in material things, these mediums of information broadcasting have ceased to be unbiased and are being governed by vested interests. In such times, one has to be discerning enough to separate the truth from what is represented as the truth.
All the things that have been mentioned above are true wonders of technology and are great gifts to mankind. But the sharper a sword is, the better and stronger the hand that wields that sword needs to be. Similarly, the further we advance, the smarter humans need to get or one fine day the fine sword may turn back and cut the hand that holds the sword.
6 comments:
Well stated! I completely agree! One of my biggest (maybe my only) peeves is that people accept what they're told unquestioningly. Simply because your government, the media, your mom, your friend or I say it to you isn't a good enough reason for you to believe it. Educate yourself on any given matter. You'd be surprised at what you may learn. :-)
The idea is to take the information from all sources, digest it, and take what you need from it. Taking another person or source at face value these days is exactly the problem with our society in America, Neo, and I'm not just talking about the current political arena. We're so quick to accept the words of our peers, and even our parents as the gospel truth, and we fail to realize that they're words and opinions are often coated in their own propaganda and deceit.
Understanding is a 3 edged sword :-)
primal: True!!!
sunkingpoet: True, skp, Instead of each one of us thinking for ourselves, we just let a few at the top make our decions for us and then later blame them for the things gone wrong.
Great to see a comment by you, after so long!
Whatever:it indeed is!
i have a theory along the lines that the world is shrinking...
stev: It is shrinking, in more ways than one.
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