The Blind Man Society

I was thinking today, about attention spans, individual intelligence, recycling, THE MAN, and my favorite area – all things circular.

I’m sitting here wondering, why there are articles that are several paragraphs long these days, that only say one thing of consequence, along with many things now being shown on video online and elsewhere.  Our attention spans and ability to absorb information seem to have gone the way of the dinosaur, and it’s very difficult to sit down and read a book, or watch a slow movie with how sped up and attention-fickle many people, including myself, have become.  Years ago, the Hitchcock movie North by Northwest was as thrilling as it got. Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago too. Now, people get sleepy and bored watching a movie like this – they are movies I watch hung over with a blanket and gallon of water to recover from a hard night’s drinking – given the pace of everything in visual entertainment these days.

I got to thinking about this, and realized that MAYBE, we are just getting too smart as a people these days.  Maybe, it’s part of a plan.  To dummy us down eventually, or at least keep us under control…to not progress beyond a certain point because intellect is off the chart now. Kids are being shown knowledge earlier and earlier, and absorbing more and more than ever before. I always used to wonder why we didn’t take the cumulative knowledge of mankind from history and books, and take it to the next level, as well as solve the recurring problems that have plagued us throughout time as humans. Now, I think that maybe we have, and are a little too smart for our own safety. And, I wonder, armed with this knowledge, just what directions the new paths lead. 

As Earthlings, we have achieved just about everything there is to do in this world.  I rarely see totally new discoveries out there anymore, the world has been mapped, been traveled to, cultures known, languages known, and we have gone to space now.  Technology has been elevated to the level of an art form. In terms of material goods, its the best it’s ever been. And, the most seductive. As people we seem to learn by imitation (only an opinion, in my own experience) and there seems to be a not-so-growing trend of recycling things for the new generations. The best example I can think of, is movies and games from when we were kids, being released for a couple years, and then being re-released 20-50 years later.

When I was younger, I used to wish, given all the problems some people were causing in this world with wars, disputes and hurting each other, that we would just go to space, and let the planet heal with the people that were left.  Global warming, and everything else – ozone layer, etc. would all right itself eventually. People have always disagreed with each other, but in the past we just didn’t possess the means to blow things and each other up like we do today. All for what seems, to be thinking differently from each other. We all speak different languages on many levels these days, but in the end we all mean and are after the same thing I think.

Now, on to thinking circular. I think that it’s been built into us that we start off as quick learners, get WAY too smart for our own safety until just past middle age, and then naturally start to get not smart as we age for balance.  With people living longer than ever these days, a full strength elderly population would be a very formidable thing. Laughing to myself right now as I type – I can only imagine. How does the famous saying go? Old age and treachery wins out over youth every time. Also, the almighty “they” say: Youth is wasted on the young. Apparently, these days the young are taking that comment seriously. Also, when you look at physiques and intellects these days, its seems that people are getting fitter and more beautiful than ever before. 

Getting more circular.  I try very hard these days to bring myself back and balance when I feel I have gone too far in a certain area. AKA, Pet Shop Wisdom Part Deux and this blog post. I myself, haven’t watched television since I was 27, and I’m 50 now.  I check in from time to time just to stay abreast of things, but I don’t watch it anymore. I balance it now, with being outside and playing with metaphorical sticks and cardboard boxes like when I was a kid with real ones.

I take breaks from typing on the computer to work on my handwriting since I can crank out paragraphs of random thought that just end up getting deleted. Sometimes I get too comfortable, and don’t say it right the first time at all. Remember in school, when computers were just coming on the scene, having to handwrite out your assignments? Saying it right, and articulating was just par for the course. We didn’t know any better. Oxford University in England used to have it’s students handwrite everything out instead of doing it on the computer for this reason I think – and, they may still in some degree paths and classes today. Again, I have to practice to keep articulation this way, since I’m so spoiled with cranking out paragraphs at a time that sometimes, make zero sense, and get deleted.  Further, a relative taught me how to read handwriting years ago, and I realized that if you change your writing, you can change yourself.  So, I take breaks and do these things a lot these days.

The conclusion here, if there’s one to be had, is this:   We are Captains of Ships in a bottle.  Technology, is the bottle.  And, it seems that we as a people are hell bent on technology in the accomplishment department these days.  It makes life easier, but, it keeps us from things in life out here in the world I think overall. And to cope with how difficult we are making life to live. And, more expensive.  We are the only life form on this planet, that has to pay to live here. Finally, my opinion is that as with all things eventually, tech is being used to control us as a people.  It was a freaky day when I realized that people in IT company security areas can listen in through computer speakers. (I’ll bet I have a couple satellites on me now, and probably will make a government watchlist or two for this one. 😊)

So, to get to the point of all these short thoughts: Simplicity beats complex.  If you think about it, the old simple ways of doing things years and decades and centuries ago really worked well. We always seem to go back to it no matter how great life is. I think about the Samurai way of life in Japan, the roaring twenties in the USA, and a LOT of other examples. Then, I think about where we are now.  And, again, simplicity was present as well a lot of new beginnings back then. It makes me wonder, what new beginnings we are establishing these days to look back on 90-100 years from now. Space travel and tech are up there, medical accomplishment, and a plethora of other areas. I’m actually thinking about this now as I type because there is a ton to think about! Finally, it all seems to be an age thing too – as I get older I find that I am appreciating simplicity a heck of a lot more in life. Minimalism, and those types of things.  Hm.

Have a great day, everyone and as always – thank you for reading and for your time. I am on the hunt for guest and contributing writers on the site for the conversation topics areas, if you know of anyone who may have interest in joining the The Blind Man Society as a guest writer, please send an email to me at jonathan.wag@gmail.com. And now, I’m hanging up my keyboard, and walking away for the day!