You know, this seems to be a serious point of contention these days. The majority of sheeple toddling around on their cell phones, driving their SUV's, barely doing their jobs, letting TVs raise their kids, all seem to be proud of their ignorance in different areas. Here are just a few:
- Philosophy (in this sense I am referring to morality, beliefs, etc)
- Science
- Math
- Computers
- Critical Thinking, Logic and Reason
- Finance and Banking
- The Concept of Responsibility
Now I'm not all saying we need to be Socrates, Einstein, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, a brain surgeon and a rocket scientist all rolled into one. But understanding the world around us is pretty important. Also how we think and what we believe is critical to how we make decisions. It's also important to understand that even if we're ignorant of something, we can still be personally responsible for our actions.
My parents weren't very good at raising kids, to be honest. But my grandparents (on summer vacations) and public school took the time to teach me basic manners, a bit of common sense, the concept of cause and effect, personal responsibility for my behavior, basic money handling, and I got a good foundation in science and math at school as well.
I sometimes deal with younger people and they don't seem to have any respect for knowledge, information or learning. They seem to refuse to be personally responsible. And the idea of thinking logically is as alien as an 8 track tape player.
When did it become cool to be so freaking ignorant? When did everyone collectively stop thinking for themselves? I'd say it's just the youth of today, but I know many people my age and even older that refuse to think about their own belief systems or how they see the world. Most people are quite content to let a priest or pastor tell them what their morals are.
And if someone is any older than me, they are proud to eschew technology when it suits them. They refuse to learn to understand their computers. Yet they all still use their cell phones while driving their big SUVs.
Is it all about convenience? The lowest common denominator thinking? I know that's how TV is these days. It's the sludge that has settled to the bottom that seems to sell the best so that's what's served up and dished out to people. And they eat it up! Then again, I watched Three's Company and the Dukes of Hazzard, so maybe I can't talk. But back then that's all there was. Now what's our excuse?
I see the way things have gone for the past few years, and then recently with all those ridiculous bailouts. We just keep rewarding people and corporations and CEO's for failing. We accept their lame blaming excuses and then hand them whatever they want with extra whipped cream on top.
I don't understand. It seems like a slippery slope of irresponsibility and cultivated ignorance. Can it ever stop? Is it like some perverse form of reverse evolution? How can we become a society of happy, responsible, empathetic, intelligent, thoughtful people?
Ha! I know... I'm crazy for even thinking such radical ideas!
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