Rise of the Machines?
Trying to spend more time with my daughter but I’ve caught myself sometimes when she’s trying to connect with me ,it almost feels like I sound interested but in reality I’m not. It’s not because I don’t value her but you hearing them the first time about what they wants your attention for, you know is not an emergency for the most time. your mind is occupied on something else or trying to do a task. Automatically I just ignore what she’s trying to say. All parents do it. All people do it too. Have we become so busy with life that we are more not living in the moment? We have bills we gotta pay, relationships we got to keep up with, and be a civil human being at the same time. Our mind is so clouded by life that we forget to live in the moment. To be here in the moment with all your attention at all times. That seems impossible and it probably is. I feel like slowly human connections are becoming extinct. Technology has floored us. There’s so much tv to watch , so many people to connect via social media and text. I’m one of those people who is consumed with technology too. I find myself having anxiety when I don’t have my phone near me. I will not have a conversation with anyone on the phone. If you call me, most likely I won’t answer. I love texting because I can have a conversation and still go on with my life without stopping. Plus I’m socially awkward so texting eliminates situations I hate being when running out of things to say. Have I become a victim too of losing the want to have human connections? We still continue to keep up with people through mostly social media. I can literally sit and go through someone else’s profile and find out more about their life. Following someone on social media and connecting with someone are two complete different things. We all have gotten comfortable sitting at home or work, and being able to keep up with just about anyone. Just one click away. When was the last time you sat with someone you really didn’t know and had an actual conversation about life? Not about politics, religion, gender or sexual preference. A conversation about you frustrations, what makes you happy, achievements and failures. My mom taught me that there’s a million things someone can talk about with your fellows without bringing topics that are meant to divide us. It’s the first time in human history where we have unlimited access to any information, knowledge and talk to just about anyone we want, from anywhere in the world. Yet we are more divided and numb to human connections that ever. Everyone has an agenda, a motive or concerned. Not many these days want to just get along with people and put aside their differences and get to know that person at a different level. Don’t get me wrong, there’s people out there that are very hard to get to know because they sit on the extremist side of things. No matter what you say or do they will not be open to any other possibility. Most people aren’t like this though. We are just so caught up in a society where you must pick a side and not be open to anything else. We are being influenced by extremist thinking. We hear all the time that the “rise of the machines” is coming in the near future. Are we being groomed to be “the machine”? Someone without empathy, compassion, mercy, understanding, compromise, fair, love and acceptance? I dislike the word “equality” You hear it everywhere. Everyone these days wants to feel equally valued and heard. Everyone thinks they are on right side of the story. The thing is that there’s no such thing as being on the right side of the story, because there’s no right side or wrong side. Everyone is different. Different life style, different background, different culture, financial situations, etc. We are all just different and that’s ok. We don’t need equality, we need to coexist. When people learn to coexist, they have their own values, beliefs and standards in their personal life. understands that not everyone will be like them. When encounters someone with a difference mindset or lifestyle, even if they don’t agree with it, they can carry on a conversation with that person without putting their agenda on others. They are able to have a conversation with just about anyone, and find common ground or even debate about a sensitive topic, but knowing that above all things, they got to respect people’s opinion and go on with life. If we learn to coexist with others we would be able to build a better community with a variety of thinking. knowing that our sole purpose in life is to survive, have a happy environment, good friends and good family. This planet was given to us to live in harmony with one another not to destroy one another. I encourage myself and others to find common ground with others specially the ones who are the opposite from us. Maybe, just maybe then we can start building a better community. The world needs a community not a society.