Mindless
The feeling of being torn apart between human ideals and the disillusions of everyday life has accompanied us human beings for ages. This feeling makes the world go round, and it has pushed people to intellectual and technological excellence, but also to inconceivable crimes against fellow human beings and nature. We look at an exploited planet and begin to perceive that we are putting our existence at risk. After all, what is a human being? A fragile creature integrated into nature. This should touch us, touch us deeply, even if we consider ourselves to be sophisticated beings.
We live in a digital age, and life has become more and more complex and arcane. Many of us feel unable to cope with the demands of our economic and professional reality. Too little self-knowledge and a lack of compassion and communication lead to insecurity, fear and growing tensions. If practical solutions are not disposable or fail, independent thoughts and actions are dismissed and eagerly passed on to others, to those who promise clear-cut answers. But can there be simple answers to complex questions? Simple solutions to complex problems?
We mainly focus on material prosperity and not on reflective modesty. We often tend to ignore reality and benumb ourselves through excessive consumption and constant satisfaction through various adventures. We are not able to create a counterbalance to these mechanisms. We are mindlessly staggering through the world, always in search of deeper meaning. What is the meaning of life? How do I give meaning to my life? People have been pondering over this question for millennia and have not found a consistent answer by now. By definition, the meaning of a thing is attributed by a human being, so that this thing can be meaningful for one person, and pointless for another one. Things that make sense today may be pointless one day.
It is tedious to constantly question oneself and develop a notion of what is good for us and others. It can be painful when we have to rid ourselves of false assumptions or concepts. But we have the freedom of choice to change something at any time of our lives and there is reward for pursuing this path of direct influence: We can take care of others and make great impact on their lives. We can contribute to our communities and improve our neighborhoods, our schools and our cities. And we can protect nature and places that touch us emotionally. This is the work that is necessary to each of us as human beings and following this calling of direct influence makes sense.
