CRASHiC
Smash Hero
My alarm goes off, and NPR turn on my clock radio. I wake, taking in the daily news as I get dressed and bath. From there, I drive to either work or school, continuing to listen to the news as I do so. For the next 8 hours I am kept busy, either on math or cash register work. Throughout the day, I receive various text messages from my friends on my cell phone, as well Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook updates. I drive home, again listening to NPR. When I get home, I go to my room, turn CNN on, go on the computer and go to Last.fm, web forums, social networking sites, blogs, and check my email. As I eat dinner, I talk with the family as the news continues to play in the background. I then work on my music, finish homework, call my girlfriend, research and practice Smash Brothers and Guilty Gear, and finally I clean up the house before finally heading to bed. As I awake the next day, I expect the same to continue.
In an age full of constant information, philosophical questions are in most cases getting left behind in the information race. While the individual has increased their knowledge of world events more than any time in history, far less time is spent on inner reflections on the day to day life. Man has no reason to be bored when he can access any information within a matter of moments, and respond to that information just as quickly. However, boredom was the source of what we have come to call humanity. Man only has time to reflect, ponder, create, and do all the other things that separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom when all other needs are satisfied. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the main character only cries for the death of two innocent boys when he sees that his future is secure. Modern day man, in most cases, has little need to fear weather or not he will live through the next day compared to our stone age brethren, so our curiosity runs wild, we invent computers, machines to do physical labor, new ways to create music, and innovation after innovation the the arts and sciences. Man now spends his time searching for information to curve his curiosity, but can the individual break down all of the information being presented to him at the rate it is being delivered?
In a stand up, George Carlin complained that the news made him feel to apathetic towards death. Perhaps the problem isn't the news stations themselves, reporting on to many murder stories as he had implied, but rather that people don't take the necessary time to contemplate the news that they are hearing. Without taking the time to consider the people's lives and tragedy, a death report becomes nothing more than collection of statistics.
Today, a plain crash killed 2,823. A business complex, built in 1970, was taken down in the crash, 430 business were located within the complex.
That is a cut and dry description of the plain crash in 9-11. What 9-11 gave us, was a slow down on the news media, allowing the public to actually consider what had just happened. From this, came empathy and fear.
I am not suggesting that we cut down on any of these technologies, nor any advancements and innovations. Instead, I propose that people must allow themselves to be bored, to give themselves time to think and consider all the information presented. The Native American Code of Ethics, the basis for my outlook on life, says, "Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak." To me, this means, "As you wake, think about the day. Contemplate it often, contemplate it alone. God (in poetic sense) will listen, but only if you speak." Take time out of your day, separate yourself from the informational stream. Turn off your TVs, your cellphones, and any other connections you have to the outside world. The personal decisions and discoveries made in those few moments will be more worth wild than anything you will obtain off of information alone.
In an age full of constant information, philosophical questions are in most cases getting left behind in the information race. While the individual has increased their knowledge of world events more than any time in history, far less time is spent on inner reflections on the day to day life. Man has no reason to be bored when he can access any information within a matter of moments, and respond to that information just as quickly. However, boredom was the source of what we have come to call humanity. Man only has time to reflect, ponder, create, and do all the other things that separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom when all other needs are satisfied. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the main character only cries for the death of two innocent boys when he sees that his future is secure. Modern day man, in most cases, has little need to fear weather or not he will live through the next day compared to our stone age brethren, so our curiosity runs wild, we invent computers, machines to do physical labor, new ways to create music, and innovation after innovation the the arts and sciences. Man now spends his time searching for information to curve his curiosity, but can the individual break down all of the information being presented to him at the rate it is being delivered?
In a stand up, George Carlin complained that the news made him feel to apathetic towards death. Perhaps the problem isn't the news stations themselves, reporting on to many murder stories as he had implied, but rather that people don't take the necessary time to contemplate the news that they are hearing. Without taking the time to consider the people's lives and tragedy, a death report becomes nothing more than collection of statistics.
Today, a plain crash killed 2,823. A business complex, built in 1970, was taken down in the crash, 430 business were located within the complex.
That is a cut and dry description of the plain crash in 9-11. What 9-11 gave us, was a slow down on the news media, allowing the public to actually consider what had just happened. From this, came empathy and fear.
I am not suggesting that we cut down on any of these technologies, nor any advancements and innovations. Instead, I propose that people must allow themselves to be bored, to give themselves time to think and consider all the information presented. The Native American Code of Ethics, the basis for my outlook on life, says, "Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak." To me, this means, "As you wake, think about the day. Contemplate it often, contemplate it alone. God (in poetic sense) will listen, but only if you speak." Take time out of your day, separate yourself from the informational stream. Turn off your TVs, your cellphones, and any other connections you have to the outside world. The personal decisions and discoveries made in those few moments will be more worth wild than anything you will obtain off of information alone.
