Awareness and A Wariness

Madame M,

No, fewer and fewer do realize it is rude. Fewer even care. It bodes ill for authentic relationships and sociability, let alone civility. What if we become too much these semi-isolated and insulated individuals who only occasionally (perhaps even reluctantly) interact with others and their surroundings? When a society becomes too individualistic, that is, when community becomes more and more merely a hope, perhaps Hobbes’ anarchy is nearer than thought.

I walk to the track and go by males (and occasionally females) who look the other way, or do not respond when I give them a greeting. I go to the gym and see most working out by themselves, with most shut off by the earpods of isolation, marching (or in this case, exercising) to their own tune(s). Even when someone doesn’t have earpods in, they exude an aura of concern that you might actually talk to them! Some of it, I’m sure, is this fear-ridden dysfunctionality we’ve constructed between men and women, but some of it is just people to people too. Our social skills are becoming a bit enfeebled or stunted.

Fortunately, these are some of the easiest things to correct, but we’ll have to fashion a new social paradigm in the doing. Unfortunately, it is a crisis which often does that…

I know of a geography professor, a newly minted fairly young PhD, who is bright, but exhibit A for this phenomenon. On the day that Call of Duty: Black Ops came out, he cancelled class so he could buy it and play it. I know many young professionals like this. I know legions more who have no job, aren’t looking for one, and show no goals, who are even more like this. The seductive and diversionary entertainment and endless communication (FB, Twit, IM, etc.) has replaced their thinking about reality and their real life (which, admittedly, this society and its system have done an increasingly poor job in making attractive).

There are many harmful facets to this, but the most pressing one to me is that the urgent and vital work of the society and world is being neglected because these people are on the Net or their video game and it is using up all their time, energy, and focus. Few sound the trumpet, and fewer hear it. And those that do flounder around in frustrating disconnection.

We don’t need anyone to conquer us, we are conquering ourselves.

Ah, go with envy to the vast library of your friend, to her cooking, and to the wine!

And I have not read Scroogenomics, but have read extensive reviews on it. Like similar books I’ve read (Affluenza, The Two-Income Trap, etc.), it calls into question this consumer madness, a madness that does not advance the things in our lives that matter.