Since ancient times, Indians have called humans as 'Manav' or 'Manas' (Sanskrit for 'the being with a mind').
The powerful conscious and imaginative mind of humans with great memory has resulted in the rapid development and evolution of the human mind. Human intellect and superior intelligence has permitted us to dominate all other creatures.
The evolved human mind has given us literature and language, the arts and science, spirituality and philosophy, technology and productivity, safety and security, all empowering us to not only cope better and more effectively with other creatures, our fellow beings and nature in general, but to constantly evolve.
We Homo Sapiens have learnt to live more effectively, efficiently and materially more comfortable, than ever before because of the development of the human mind. While other creatures watch and guard what they value most, usually food sources and mates, for humans there is the additional thing, it is the mind that should be and seems to be most valued.
Throughout history the rate at which we could stimulate and develop the mind was constrained by the sources and rate of distribution of information being freely available. Now, because we have greater political freedom, less domination by ideologies and organised religion and numerous economic opportunities, technology and communication has made it possible that more and more people to broadcast thoughts, data, information, rules, gossip, entertainment etc. consequently we are inundated by an explosion of information.
There is so much overload, that one can witness the phenomenal rise of zombies, that is people operating at the lowest level of human intelligence and potential and at the highest possible levels of artificial intelligence and natural stupidity. We now have vast amount of data which weighs down and suppresses our intelligence.
What then should one do?
I can't tell anyone what to do, but I can share what I do.
I have evolved a philosophy to continuously receive and discard information and thoughts. I believed I was rather unique, until I learnt that I was 2500 years late.
‘‘The perfect man employs his mind as a mirror; it grasps nothing; it refuses nothing; it receives, but does not keep.”
-Chuang-tzu (4th Century B.C.E Chinese philosopher)
I avoid drivel, and those that dish it out. It is impossible to know at first, but whenever one discovers sources and purveyors of ideology, triviality, negativity, toxicity, grumblers and general nonsense, one can simply block, ignore or avoid them.
If this was so simple then why do many of us keep on receiving and retaining crushing loads of information?
'FOMO' (fear of missing out), is the leading cause of people addicted to stay connected and be informed. As a result humanity in general rather than progressing is regressing. That is possibly why the number one employer in the world today are the 'helping professions', that is people helping other people to cope.
Cope with what?
They are helping vast amount of the population to cope with self created misery by embracing nonsense and the inconsequential.
By not straining the conscious memory, one discovers greater capacity in one's intelligence and intellectual capabilities. More importantly one will experience the the evolution of the self, more successful yet peaceful and happy.
Now that is something worth realising, and therefore I observe my mind more than my possessions.
Interesting Links:
45 Ton Movable Franz Kafka Sculpture: Prague - You Tube
Phenomenal memory - Rajan Mahadevan - Guru Wonder
Guru Wonder:
#happiness #mind #peaceful #success
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