Thinkers' Corner

Ever the idealist, I believe there is an inherent good in creation. I believe creation is more than I can see and can do more than I think. Ever the idealist, I believe we can make our world a prettier place if we dare try. Ever the idealist, I believe it’s not such a difficult thing to smile, especially when you are really pissed off. After all, what does a smile cost?
Why then is it that the world appears to be getting worse and people seem to be always complicating matters? Why don’t we ever get to that beautiful land of Far-Far Away? Like Donkey in the Shrek series we keep asking, “Are we there yet?”, and the answer is always in the negative.
The answer would depend on who you ask. Ask a religious guru and he’ll tell you it’s because men have lost taste for religion. Then he’ll probably cite data about the decrease in the number of people in places of worship and the proportional increase in social gathering attendants. Ask an adherent of the African Traditional Religion and he’ll tell you it’s the fault of western religions. He’ll tell you how there was more brotherly love before the advent of western religion.
A politician will tell you it’s because the country preferred the other guy’s more ridiculous lies to his own and the academic will tell you it’s the fault of the elite. The elite will refer to the uneducated but fortunately rich, the educated but unfortunately rich and the godlike West- Europe and America and some Asia.
Always the problem is out there. It’s either in someone else’s attitude, character or ideology. Few people would admit they are intricately related to the problem. About the same few would ever admit their group has a relationship with the problem.
Happily, I’m not about to give you the answer to the problem. Answers aren’t always answers. When we see the real answers we will accept them if we are ready to. I’m going to bore you for the next minute or so with my own analysis of the “ones” who are the reason Bill Gates is still richer than you are despite your sacrifice of hundreds of pigeons and snail bellies at holy intersections.
I consider that as a people we are usually too pragmatic to wonder. I also think we’re too pragmatic to think. We aren’t awed by wonders because we don’t think we can make do with the energy necessary for such awe. It takes an intelligent mind to feel and feel deeply. Then it takes a more intelligent mind to place his intelligent feelings beside his intelligent thoughts and weigh them carefully. Many like me are too busy to do that. You think it’s easy to feel? That’s because you’ve limited yourself to certain basic emotions. That’s also you probably don’t think much about your feelings. You rather act on them.
Because we can’t afford to feel correctly we can’t also afford to think correctly. We would rather guess than feel or think. Thinking takes too much energy. Anything that seems about to break through the bunds of our most hallowed laxity is deemed difficult and unnecessary. When people refuse to think and think well mediocrity will take the place of excellence and nobody would even notice. Doesn’t that describe politics?
Sometimes we try to portray the head and heart as opposites. We tell people to follow their heart as if that means they should neglect their heads. We differentiate between people who live by their heads and those who live by their hearts. We ought to differentiate well. Head and heart aren’t opposites. They are complementary.
Following your heart isn’t relegating your head to third division. It is subjecting your heart to the scrutiny of your head rather than totally disregarding your heart. It’s easy to classify foolishness as following your heart. Your heart isn’t foolish otherwise it will stop beating one day and you’ll die unceremoniously. It takes a thinker to feel correctly and use his feelings wisely. Maybe I’ll share some thoughts on that some other time. For today, just introduce yourself to your brain and your imagination. Get to know them. Just think. Don’t worry or daydream. Just think, feel, wonder and think again.