We’ve become encapsulated. Shut off from all else but our own small world. People barely know their own neighbors these days. Even families have little if anything to do with each other except for major events. It amazes me that we still function as a society with so much separation.
How did this occur?
I can only speak for my small area of the world. Really I’m not even sure if it is as wide spread as I think it is. Certainly here in the US it seems to be. But then, how do I know? I only know a few people in comparison to the vast millions (apx 320 million) of others spread across around 3.8 million square miles. Using my limited math skills, even if I interviewed a million people (and that would take way to long to do), that would only be .31% of the population. Considering that, of that number, a significant number might not understand the purpose of the interview or the brevity of answers or could even possibly not answer in an honest and/or forthright manner, any determination that could be derived in a numerical format couldn’t possibly represent the other 319 million that didn’t have the chance to contribute. So how much would a survey/poll mean anyway. Pretty much how I feel about polls anyway. I question if they really represent my or other’s true feelings.
For me, in my honest opinion (as if I would give you anything else), technology is hugely responsible for at least some of this separation. But then again, is it really technology or the people that use it. Yes… it is actually us that are responsible. You can’t blame email, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, or other social media (sorry if I didn’t name yours) for your lack of connection to others. We as a nation have chosen to communicate through text instead of calling. We are responsible for sharing our lives through Facebook instead of calling our family or sending an actual letter, or pictures to someone. We choose not to communicate. We choose not to share on a personal level but rather keep ourselves segmented and privatized. But why?
How often do you take stock of the things around you? The people around you? All that is around you? Even of yourself? I’m not talking about how much you make, what you do, who you know or what you have though all of that could be a part of the evaluation. How often do you take a close look at yourself? How often do you search your soul?
We live day to day wrapped up in our selves and our own small issues. We worry about stupid stuff in the grand scheme of things. Whats for dinner, who’s coming over, who is winning the football game, what are the (insert the name of some famous person/family) doing today or this week, who’s birthday is it this week, whats next on my schedule… all of these are so superfluous to the truth of whats really important.
All I have to go by is my small world. I can only speak from my experience which honestly is limited as is everyone else’s even though there are those that a wider range to gather from. I’ve not traveled nor lived in other cultures. None of us can change any of our past. Only our future. Only where we go from here. Only the choices we make now and from now on.
How long has it been since you took stock?
Maybe its time.
Dark-Light 