tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398699458159756321.post8044587944396526622..comments2024-03-07T22:31:37.969+01:00Comments on Philosophy by the Way: The habit of thoughtlessnessHbdWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05358668804898517772noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398699458159756321.post-23355502231122522892008-09-21T01:16:00.000+02:002008-09-21T01:16:00.000+02:00This is a wonderful blog. I think one of the probl...This is a wonderful blog. I think one of the problems with our world today is that so few people allow themselves the periods of prolonged solitude and silence that would promote deep thought. The attention spans of most people are short-lived, and the habit of focus is virtually non-existent. <BR/>You are right in saying that we <BR/>oft-times allow others to tell us what to think. We allow celebrities to dictate what we wear and what we eat. We consume fast food and cannot go anywhere without our cell phones (thankfully, I don't own one). We've become mentally lazy and intellectually stagnant. And, in the midst of our cerebral sloth, when we are all so wanting to prove that we are individuals, we have actually become a mass of conformists. To be different, to have opinions and views that aren't in keeping with everybody else's, is to be thought of as "eccentric." So few people think for themselves that to do so has become an act of courage, of ultimate bravery.<BR/><BR/>This brings to mind a quote by e.e.cummings, one of my favorite poets:<BR/><BR/>"To be nobody--but--yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else--means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."<BR/><BR/>It is time for originality to <BR/>come back into fashion. The TVs need to be given to charity and people need to turn off their cell phones. Then they'll be forced to be alone with their thoughts, face to face with their inner selves.<BR/><BR/>Just my thoughts....<BR/>perdita7Alexishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14102615205499293869noreply@blogger.com