Acts of stupidity are not uncommon in prison, as you can well imagine, but we are not alone. Stupidity is everywhere. Foolish people are breeding foolish actions at an alarmingly increasing rate. The further we advance technologically, the less capable our world seems to be at making wise decisions and thinking for ourselves. Quick reference of fact is replacing man's capacity for logical thought. It has become a world of people who can navigate the Internet as easily as we once changed channels on the television and yet many have trouble comprehending basic math and spelling. It is disheartening to think that this media-entranced, zombified world is the one my nieces and nephews will grow up in.
The true root of all evil is ignorance, for it is in a state of ignorance that all wrongs are committed. This does not excuse the evil act, for in most cases the guilty is fully aware of the crime he commits and that it is wrong. It is in his ignorance that he finds justification for his action or overlooks the depths of the consequences.
Even so, how do we hold the ignorant man accountable? By recognizing that each of us, with the capacity to think, had the opportunities to seek out knowledge and wisdom and by wisdom we had the ability to be logical and make the right decision.
Education can lead to freedom of the people and act as a light to burn away the darkness of ignorance and evil. The wise man will seek righteousness, for it would be stupid to do otherwise.
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Some serious food for thought, Daniel. Why solve the problem when we can just find the answer?
ReplyDeleteDANIEL ~
ReplyDeleteYou make some sound and important points that I heartily agree with. Another negative repercussion of technology that I have noticed in others and in myself as well - even though I attempt to remain conscious of it - is increased impatience.
The more we become accustomed to having everything accomplished as quickly as possible, the more impatient we become with each minor snag or snafu that slows down the process leading to our desired outcome.
To illustrate this in just a very simple way: My childhood took place in that era prior to everything being computerized. I can well recall standing at the cash register while a clerk manually entered the price of a week's worth of groceries dollar by dollar and penny by penny. Waiting and watching while this was done did not seem annoying at all; it was just standard operating procedure.
But now, every item purchased is merely waved before a reading device and the price is scanned and recorded in a second. But watch how irritated you immediately start to get the moment some item doesn't scan properly and the process begins to slow down even slightly. Or watch how people in line begin to shift from foot to foot and become a bit agitated if pleasant small talk between a clerk and a customer appears to slow down the check-out process by even the slightest degree.
I fear that our computerized/mechanized society is adversely affecting our ability to live life at a more natural and beneficial pace and robbing us of the former sense of community that people shared.
Now, everything is lickety-split so that we can rush home and lock ourselves indoors with our TVs, computers and video games! Hardly anyone knows the names of their neighbors anymore. When I was growing up, everyone knew everyone else who was living on the same street. Not now!
I certainly acknowledge that a great deal of genuine value has been made possible by the computer and advances in telecommunications, etc. But unfortunately, we are not just gaining the good, but we are losing some good, too. I think that some of the basic aspects of humanity are being lost. Can you imagine what Henry David Thoreau would have to say about the modern American lifestyle if he were suddenly raised from the dead?!
Say, I was just wondering where you come down on the question of God. Would you categorize yourself as a believer, an agnostic, or an atheist? Thanks!
~ "Lonesome Dogg" McD-Fens
(a.k.a. Stephen)
Excellent post, Dan. And some excellent observations from Stephen.
ReplyDeleteI might add that this instantaneous "knowledge" we receive online is often falsehood and yet accepted and quickly passed about through emails. In earlier days of slower media, rumor was not so quick to fly and usually information had more substantiation or was allowed to cool off while it was researched and either accepted or debunked. Now it is sometimes hard to know what is really the truth.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Thank you all for the comments. I am sending Dan a letter this week with your comments and I will post his responses as soon as I have them. Please spread the word about my brother's blog and thanks again for all of your support!
ReplyDeleteTO: Alex J. FROM: Daniel Jackson
ReplyDeleteThis may apply for all people. The answers lie within us. If we only educate ourselves and uncover truth, the problems will begin to solve themselves. While it is the duty of the individual to seek those answers, one cannot do it alone.
*** If you would like to respond to Dan's comment response further, feel free to write to him at Daniel Jackson #1182398 Powhatan Correctional Center, State Farm, VA 23160 ***
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTO: Arlee Bird FROM: Daniel Jackson
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouraging words and some of the insightful comments you have made. I 'm glad you are enjoying my postings so far and I hope to continue offering interesting material. I also appreciate the interest and attention you have shown and helped generate.
By the way, the comment you made regarding the post "Stupid", about how rumors are spread was intriguing. I see it occur often in here. Something is said and it spreads quickly though the inmate population. Truth is often blurred and reality can only be judged when you have gathered all the facts. Unfortunately, as Stephen stated, we are becoming more and more impatient. Seeking truth is a difficult process, it's easier to accept what's right in front of us. I feel it is human to do the easy things in life. It is divine to reach for the difficult things. (P.S. Happy Father's Day!)
*** If you would like to respond to Dan's comment response further, feel free to write to him at Daniel Jackson #1182398 Powhatan Correctional Center, State Farm, VA 23160 ***
TO: Stephen T. McCarthy FROM: Daniel Jackson
ReplyDeleteInsightful observations you made concerning my June posting entitled "Stupid". I agree that modern society is becoming too reliant on technology. Patience is a virtue vanishing in an age of Twitter and instant messages. It was actually pointed out to me that a big part of a blog was immediate responses to comments, that I could possibly lose followers if I was not more active. It is unfortunate that we live in a world that is so impatient. That the quality of my writing, the power of my words, does not hold interest if I don't respond to a comment immediately.
We are becoming a society that relies on what is at our fingertips, quickly referenced, rather than investigation and social interaction. Conversation and penmanship are becoming lost arts and I fear the further we sink into ourselves, the more we forget how to be a community, the worse off society will be. We are evolving into a nation of zombies, hypnotized by our meaningless distractions. This is sad to me, since art requires thought, emotion and focus and I am a lover of the arts. The more connected we become technologically, the more disconnected we become from humanity. Cold and emotionless mimics of the computers we become so reliant on...
To answer your question concerning my stand on God, I am a believer in something greater. I see the hand of Divine Influence and labeling. I've written some stuff concerning my philosophical views that should be posted in the next few weeks.
*** If you would like to respond to Dan's comment response further, feel free to write to him at Daniel Jackson #1182398 Powhatan Correctional Center, State Farm, VA 23160 ***
DANIEL ~
ReplyDeleteThanks for your response, Brother.
~ Stephen
"As a dog returns to his own vomit,
so a fool repeats his folly."
~ Proverbs 26:11
To: Alex J. with regard to your comments of June 3rd & 10th:
ReplyDeleteThank you for following my entries and for your patience. I only wish I could be more active on a personal level. Be assured that I will always try to respond as quickly as possible to your posted comments or my sister will.
Indeed, it is quite sad that with all the things I and my fellow prisoners have to deal with, those who should be aiding us in our quest for rehabilitation are the ones who often cause our greatest obstacles. This is an issue I will try to address more fully in the future. For now, I will say that while every individual is responsible in his own quest for the good, others should not work to hinder or derail this quest.
This may apply for all people. The answers lie within us. If we only educate ourselves and uncover truth, the problems will begin to solve themselves. While it is the duty of the individual to seek those answers, one cannot do it alone.
Direct correspondences can be made to me at:
Daniel Jackson #1182398
Powhatan Correctional Center
State Farm, VA 23160