Can the Internet foster intelligent discussion and aid to form originalities and ethical beliefs?
An unusual thing occurred the other day as I strolled through my university campus. A young man approached me from a political organization that certainly was canvassing for brand-new members. This is nothing brand-new as there are constantly people attacking me for one cause or another. I am extremely interested in the ways in which life and human society works especially in the world of spirituality and morality. However, I need to admit that I have actually never actually gotten much out of politics, or economics which politics seems to be primarily focused on. For some reason I entered into a conversation with this fellow and the resulting experience affected me profoundly.
I don’t know if his political group is relevant to this post but I will mention it is based around a U.S. Democrat called Lyndon Larouche. The guy was informing me in detail about how today world economy based around George Bush’s American system is destined for failure and causing much difficulty worldwide. This I concurred with totally as I can’t condone or envision costs substantial amounts of energy on eliminating individuals in a war as being a favorable act.
He likewise discussed among my favorite human rights activists: Martin Luther King Jr. The guy was stating that under existing conditions the ruling fascist ‘Em pire’ is reducing private idea and imagination which the masses of the world had become mindless cattle. He stated that the key to evolving a new morally upstanding world society we will require individuals to as soon as again believe on their own and alter the current financial structures that manage life on earth. He used a great deal of big economic-type terminology so some of what he said reviewed my head, however I generally took the person to be a good, intelligent individual who thought passionately about what he did. He gave the impression that people like King are the terrific transformers of beliefs in society, and that only genuinely awakened souls will enjoy when they pass away.
I attempt not to take myself or life on Earth too seriously as this has triggered lots of issues for me in the past. However, I do believe that life and love are extremely important concepts to concentrate on when one is growing spiritually. I chose to sign the group’s list and get a bit more information so as to actually comprise my opinion about these matters that I know so little about (economics and politics). Here is where the story goes unusual. I wrote down my name and my e-mail address and the fellow asked if I ‘d put down my phone number too. I said that as I am a writer I don’t like being interrupted by the phone ringing and that I ‘d rather interact by means of the Web. This is when the trouble began.
The guy was visibly upset and stated that the Web was not a great place for individuals to exchange ideas and have discussions. I laughed and responded that the Internet is extremely young and how could he evaluate it so harshly in such a black and white manner? He paradoxically sounded a little like the fascists that he did not like so much when he answered back that no excellent ideas had actually ever come from people on the Internet, and for that matter, a ‘real’ discussion in between people had to be carried out face to deal with. Well, I could have pointed out that on the telephone you can not ‘see’ anyone’s face, but I thought I ‘d try to explain my position on the matter a bit more positively.
I told him that the Internet was just an easy tool of communication that was bringing individuals closer together. You can see somebody across the world with a web camera whilst hearing his or her voice completely. I then pointed out that the Internet was doing precisely what he felt was necessary for society to flourish in the future; it is offering voice to individuals’ ideas like never ever prior to in human history. The person was then actually beginning to lose his cool and was getting quite upset. I then thought I ‘d mention the idea that the Web was liquifying the concept of national borders as anyone could speak to anyone else freely with the basic realization that all individuals are the same. Individuals are no longer required to think about other citizenships as different ‘types’ of people that a person ought to steer away from.
By this time the person had actually ended up being extremely irate and said emphatically that there is nothing wrong with having different nations. He then contradicted himself and agreed with me by saying that the ‘Em pire’ only wanted to ‘divide and conquer’ and split countries into even smaller sized entities that might then be taken control of. I responded softly that procedure inevitably produced more unnecessary borders between fellow humans.
The main point that stuck to me after the discussion ended was the fact that it was the discussing of the Web as a favorable medium for communication and knowledge that so significantly disturb the guy. I think no matter how knowledgeable about the world and sure of yourself that you are, if there are things that you are still uninformed of, or in this case obstinate to due to the fact that of some irrational fear; like a link that snaps in a chain, so will your peace and calm will be shattered by ignorance and anger.
Spirituality and morality can be discussed on various mediums … Politics and economics must be the exact same.
