Ignorance and Catastrophe

The daily news tells us what is happening in the world, region, state and city. Even our neighborhoods are happening! And we learn what’s going on either by the news reports or gossip, or newsletters, or whatever transmission is used. What we do with that news is important, to ourselves and to others.

Accumulation of news actually is a building of history. From this amassing of data we learn things: what is happening, what is likely to happen from the current trends, and what we need to do about these matters to manage them so they build toward accepted goals and expectations.

If we see heavy rains swelling rivers, our news from the past tells us of flood threats from the rivers. Retention walls along river banks are built over time to contain the higher levels of water within the river and not in our neighborhoods and streets. Dams may be built in response to significant historic flooding in a region. This protects life and property in that region.

So too we observe massive traffic congestion building in some areas in response to growing population and economic activity. New highways and traffic systems are engineered and built to accommodate the traffic loads. This is what we do with news, observations, threats and opportunities. We familiarize ourselves with these facts and think forward to build something better for our communities.

We build schools for the kids. We work hard to develop educational programs for the kids so they are capable of adapting to changing society over time.

We observe nations around the globe and see in them partners or future partners for projects of mutual interest. And we also learn who is a friendly and who is not. We assess the threat of the unfriendly and build defense systems accordingly. We build peace initiatives toward unfriendly nations and hope that they will become friends so we can divert defense expenditures toward socially beneficial programs to support better quality of life for more people.

We keep our minds active over time to learn what is going on around us and how it affects ourselves and our families and friends. We learn and adapt. We change with the changing society and culture around us.

Not doing this means we are affected by the news because we are not adapting to it. We are not getting out of the way of the speeding car on the street. We get hit and injured, or worse, killed.

We smoke or drink until our health is harmed and fails. We take jobs with no good end in sight and become laid off, discarded, and placed in the underemployed category. What can I do to make myself more employable long term and adaptable to a changing workforce and employment scene? What are the options I have?

Can I do for myself or must I rely on others to provide for me?

And how then do I act? Do I blame the ‘system’ for my plight or do I have a clear vision of the mirror in front of me and ‘see’ that I didn’t notice what was obvious to others? That a changing world will sweep me along to places I don’t want to go, or I did see, and altered my own course?

Ignorance has many faces. Dancing to three in the morning may be fun once in a long while. Addicting one’s self to dancing to 3 am once a week may be a signal of a problem. Changing the behavior, the addiction to fun and pleasure, may be a critical issue in one’s life at some time or other.

Just like drinking or drugging, addictions to pleasure blind a person from other realities. They must work. They must apply the mind to meaningful tasks. They must learn. About themselves and others. And organizations, too. What do they have in common? What do they mean to me and others?

Come on, folks. This is not rocket science with high math and particle physics applied. It is simple math and logic.

We get out of life what we put into it. Life has value only if we build it in ourselves. No one gives this to us. The only thing we are given is opportunity. And that we must recognize and go with. It is ours to respond to, not take advantage of, but to use to advantage. And later provide the same opportunities to others.

Failing to do this – failing to recognize our ignorance and work for the opposite – will certainly make catastrophes happen. And more frequently!

Don’t know who to vote for this November? Where have you been? Don’t understand the issues in the cross hairs for this election? Where have you been? Don’t understand how the candidates differ from each other? Where have you been? Don’t understand how the electoral system works? Where have you been?

Yes. Where have you been? The rest of us have been paying attention. We think we understand it. Often that is a false understanding, but at least an attempt has been made.

While America plays games with its future through horrible politics, the rest of the world is advancing its ability to out-compete us and maybe design offensive programs against us.

Where have you been? And do you have the will to catch up in time for the election?

We can only pray you do!

October 12, 2016