We Are Losing The Ability To Entertain and Enrich Ourselves
The way people de-stress and spend their leisure time nowadays is markedly different from the way people did just a few decades ago. This could be due to more choices, thanks to the television, the Internet, and various forms of new media that have become the new operating paradigms of entertainment and the exchanges of ideas. That said, in a few ways, I think we would be better off with the way things were before than we are today.
Today, most of us are gradually losing our creative and imaginative abilities due to constantly being force-fed entertainment through video games and television. Today, while we have more choices, it's getting harder to find the really good stuff be it in games or other forms of visual entertainment; most programs being shown in the mainstream media simply pander to the masses. Pabulum. Back then, people were forced to imagine and visualize the thoughts and ideas that were being conveyed through poetry and prose that the literature of the day provided. They exerted their minds.
I came to this realization when I was looking through a bookstore and came across this book:
The subtitle especially caught my eye: How to Read A Poem and Why.
I realized the irony of the situation: Now we need an instruction manual on how to read a poem? Wow. Are we really getting to the point that we become that inept when it comes to imagine and visualize ideas from words presented as poetry and prose that we lack the imagination and creative faculties to not only write, but even appreciate or read such? And that we need instruction manuals on how to do it? And then it hit me: YES.
The collective level of intellect of the masses today is fast deteriorating. We are paying more attention to things that are next to devoid of benefit to us and significantly less to things that would actually make us better and smarter people. Think about it: how much time d'you spend watching Big Brother or playing video games everyday in one month? What if you dedicated that time to learning a new skill through taking up new hobbies, or even a new language? We could accomplish so much!
It doesn't have to be a chore, either. There are a great many ways outside of convention that both serve to enrich and entertain you. Some examples from my personal experiences:
- I learned a lot about basic economics and fascinating social trends through Stephen J. Dubner's book "Freakonomics". Did you know swimming pools kill more kids than guns kept at home do? Or that an abortion law approved two decades ago had a significant impact and decreased crime rates today in New York (and thus in another way saying that Rudy Guliani really is a douchebag)? It's a fun read.
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- I significantly increased my Spanish speaking and comprehension by reading Spanish comics and listening to rock band Mana and the comedy troupe Les Luthiers. Mana makes some beautiful music (check out their MTV unplugged album), and Les Luthiers are just plain hilarious. A few years back, I also began to really get into learning Japanese by reading manga and listening to and translating the lyrics of L'Arc~en~Ciel, but I stopped... Oh well.
- I even learn a lot about American Politics, Policies, Government, and Contemporary Issues by watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In fact, I know more about American Politics than I do about Philippine Politics! I can tell you about the differences between Republican and Democratic Ideologies, how they affect the people in America, and tell you that John McCain can't lift his arms above his shoulders because he was tortured as a P.O.W. in the Vietnam War. By the way, SkyCable? I still hate you.
There's some great stuff out there that's seriously entertaining but really serve as means for self-improvement as well.
Anyway, I purchased the above book and resolved to redevelop my interest and poetry, and eventually branch out into some more non-fiction. I want to really cut back on playing video games and try to learn more stuff that'll do me good. It'll be hard, but I think I'll be better off.
It takes great effort, patience, and even a bit of humility in order to significantly change the way one does things for the better in day-to-day life, but I believe it can be worth it.
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