WITH all the technological advances we now have, we cannot deny the fact that we are always tempted to try them, spending precious time and exploring the plethora of possibilities with them. The urge to “carpe diem” gets ever stronger, often milking us dry of our creative juices, etc.
This is a good development, of course, but only if we are prepared for it, adequately equipped and clear as to their ultimate purpose. Otherwise, we would just be blown and swept away by the storm of novelties and curiosities they offer.
Thus, while they help us to be more driven in life, they also ask us, nay, require us to be properly grounded. A certain kind of sobriety is needed, since our tendency to be intoxicated is now always teased and provoked.
The other day, someone told me how concerned he was since his high school daughter already has more than a thousand friends on Facebook, most of them male admirers, and they come not only from the city and the province, but also from the rest of the country and even outside.
That’s a new problem that is asking for new ways of how to be prompt and effective in dispensing parental guidance, while observing the requirements of prudence and understanding for the young one involved. New house rules have to be made to adapt to the new situation.
I told him to regulate the time his daughter spends on the Internet, and to see to it that she studies and prays and that family gatherings, like eating together, having after-meal get-togethers, going to Mass together, etc. should be fostered.
Besides, frequent direct personal chats should be encouraged between parents and children so that criteria, suggestions and corrections can be made punctually.
I myself have to be careful not to spend too much time on the Internet. Now that I have more than 600 friends on Facebook and growing, I have to see to it that I have a clear idea what to do and how much time I can spend every time I open my account.
My friends are all sorts, from high and low, but mostly young male students from the school where I work, with their expected load of pranks and mischiefs that I have to learn to bear with a grain of salt. But the apostolic possibilities far outweigh the negative elements.
Still, there is always a need to be careful and sober, since the pull of distractions can be both strong and subtle. It’s a daily struggle that has to be contextualized in one’s interior life itself. It could not be anything less.
It’s this interior or spiritual life that enables one to see things from the point of view of God, and not just from any human point of view, cultural, social or economic. Sadly, this reality is often ignored by many people. There’s a need to restore its crucial role it plays in our lives.
So I always recommend that one submits himself to a clear plan of life that includes practices of piety distributed all throughout the day that would help him keep a lively spiritual life and a working supernatural outlook.
This lifestyle obviously requires sobriety, that effective self-control that involves knowing how to deal with our impulses and urges that need to be rationalized and later infused by faith and charity.
To achieve this, a certain detachment from persons and things is needed. It allows us to see things more objectively and calmly. It lets us make proper judgments of persons, things and events.
This does not mean that we develop a kind of serious and dour image. Sobriety is lived in naturalness, and therefore it can have its cheerful and tender moments that should be more dominant than its dry side.
Sobriety involves the skill of waiting and preparing. The best example of this is God himself. In his plan of redemption, he had to wait for years and had to send all sorts of patriarchs and prophets to prepare the people for salvation.
When Christ the Redeemer finally came, he also had to wait and pray a lot. In all the big events of his earthly life, he would always precede them with long periods of prayer and fasting. He did not immediately jump into action.
We need to understand the wisdom of this lifestyle. Thus, in our driven world, we need to be firmly moored in our effective love for God and others. Otherwise, we become easy prey to the tricks of the flesh and the world.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Higher sense of purpose needed
NOW that we are enjoying a flowering of technological development, we need to realize more deeply that the quantum leap in that area calls for a matching quantum leap in our sense of purpose. Otherwise we would get what is tantamount to an overdose.
I think such assertion is commonsensical. Yet we ignore it, mainly because the so-called overdose is not so much painful as it is euphoric. The danger is not immediately felt and seen. It can hide behind many rationalizations and justifications. The overdose assumes the character of a sweet poison.
Many times in my chats with young fellows in the front lines of this warp-speed technological progress, I get the impression that there seems to be endless possibilities of usages and advantages that the electronic world is now offering us.
More inventions and innovations are made. Just recently, in fact, I have been invited to a talk on blogging and on other programs like Tiddlywiki that provides tremendous and very practical facilities for taking notes.
I’m at the moment just discovering the wonders of the Facebook and struggling, dummy and unteachable as I am, to cope with its many possibilities. And here comes other programs knocking at the door for me to consider. I’m not sure anymore whether I’m simplifying my life or complicating it. Anyway, we’ll see…
Thing is we need to have a higher sense of purpose to truly make use of these technological marvels. I’m afraid that without this clear sense of purpose, more elevated than the usual practical level, we would end up wallowing more deeply in our own world, increasingly insensitive to the ultimate dimension of our life, which is spiritual, moral and supernatural.
In fact, this wallowing phenomenon is what we are seeing these days in the electronic world. What begins as humanly valid practical uses sooner or later deteriorates into inhuman, sinful modes if not animated properly by spiritual and moral values.
There are now a lot of inanities circulated around electronically. Subtle and even open forms of human moral anomalies like vanity, envy, sensuality, greed, egoism, etc., are having a field day in this arena.
These dangers can start with people, especially the young one, to waste a lot of time and to express and cultivate their youthful weaknesses with nuclear dynamics.
I remember reading an article about the Google CEO warning that young people should be allowed to change their names after some time because they would already have compromised their future with the irresponsible things they have posted on the net. Their cyber past would just be too hot to handle.
I have even seen in the web wanton displays of poor taste and impropriety on the part of some Church and spiritual leaders, as in priests and bishops, as they frolic in the beach with companions that can only raise eyebrows, engorging themselves in parties, and other forms of frivolity. There seems be no concern of avoiding possible scandals.
More dangers are still in store. Those who are more intellectually gifted or more business-minded ply their trades in pursuit of purely human gains that may lead them to be materially richer but spiritually poorer. The bargain is utterly unfair, but it’s resorted to with gusto.
Of course, Godless ideologies would not be long in coming. They in fact are now proliferating, giving the impression they are the mainstream in our world today.
We should not just stand by in the face of these developments taking place right before our eyes. We need to at least encourage everyone to use these new powers with a greater sense of responsibility, hooking them to a higher sense of purpose.
And this is none other than to use them for the ultimate purpose of our life here on earth. This is where religion as to come in, where our relation with God has to come in. This most important aspect should not be ostracized.
Some great effort is definitely needed here, since first of all, we have to break that deep-seated prejudice against religion when we engage in our earthly, mundane affairs. If we ever talk about religion, we seem to confine it only inside churches and places like those, but not in our secular concerns.
Our sense of naturalness seems to be twisted at the root, since it seems to be incompatible with anything spiritual and supernatural. We need to correct this irregularity, without going to the extreme of behaving in some strange, unnatural way.
A higher sense of purpose can help us do this.
I think such assertion is commonsensical. Yet we ignore it, mainly because the so-called overdose is not so much painful as it is euphoric. The danger is not immediately felt and seen. It can hide behind many rationalizations and justifications. The overdose assumes the character of a sweet poison.
Many times in my chats with young fellows in the front lines of this warp-speed technological progress, I get the impression that there seems to be endless possibilities of usages and advantages that the electronic world is now offering us.
More inventions and innovations are made. Just recently, in fact, I have been invited to a talk on blogging and on other programs like Tiddlywiki that provides tremendous and very practical facilities for taking notes.
I’m at the moment just discovering the wonders of the Facebook and struggling, dummy and unteachable as I am, to cope with its many possibilities. And here comes other programs knocking at the door for me to consider. I’m not sure anymore whether I’m simplifying my life or complicating it. Anyway, we’ll see…
Thing is we need to have a higher sense of purpose to truly make use of these technological marvels. I’m afraid that without this clear sense of purpose, more elevated than the usual practical level, we would end up wallowing more deeply in our own world, increasingly insensitive to the ultimate dimension of our life, which is spiritual, moral and supernatural.
In fact, this wallowing phenomenon is what we are seeing these days in the electronic world. What begins as humanly valid practical uses sooner or later deteriorates into inhuman, sinful modes if not animated properly by spiritual and moral values.
There are now a lot of inanities circulated around electronically. Subtle and even open forms of human moral anomalies like vanity, envy, sensuality, greed, egoism, etc., are having a field day in this arena.
These dangers can start with people, especially the young one, to waste a lot of time and to express and cultivate their youthful weaknesses with nuclear dynamics.
I remember reading an article about the Google CEO warning that young people should be allowed to change their names after some time because they would already have compromised their future with the irresponsible things they have posted on the net. Their cyber past would just be too hot to handle.
I have even seen in the web wanton displays of poor taste and impropriety on the part of some Church and spiritual leaders, as in priests and bishops, as they frolic in the beach with companions that can only raise eyebrows, engorging themselves in parties, and other forms of frivolity. There seems be no concern of avoiding possible scandals.
More dangers are still in store. Those who are more intellectually gifted or more business-minded ply their trades in pursuit of purely human gains that may lead them to be materially richer but spiritually poorer. The bargain is utterly unfair, but it’s resorted to with gusto.
Of course, Godless ideologies would not be long in coming. They in fact are now proliferating, giving the impression they are the mainstream in our world today.
We should not just stand by in the face of these developments taking place right before our eyes. We need to at least encourage everyone to use these new powers with a greater sense of responsibility, hooking them to a higher sense of purpose.
And this is none other than to use them for the ultimate purpose of our life here on earth. This is where religion as to come in, where our relation with God has to come in. This most important aspect should not be ostracized.
Some great effort is definitely needed here, since first of all, we have to break that deep-seated prejudice against religion when we engage in our earthly, mundane affairs. If we ever talk about religion, we seem to confine it only inside churches and places like those, but not in our secular concerns.
Our sense of naturalness seems to be twisted at the root, since it seems to be incompatible with anything spiritual and supernatural. We need to correct this irregularity, without going to the extreme of behaving in some strange, unnatural way.
A higher sense of purpose can help us do this.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Working on our attitude
IT’S unfortunate that the word “attitude” has fallen into disrepute. Nowadays when you hear that someone has an attitude, it means he has a bad temper, or has an evil way of looking at things, etc. It has become a catch-all for everything that can be negative in a person.
I am sure it’s one of those sweeping, thoughtless generalizations that sometimes happen when we seem dominated by a certain kind of event. It’s a case of branding and stereotyping, similar to the Colgate of old to refer to toothpaste, etc.
But attitude is something we cannot avoid. It’s part of our system, of our being persons who think and choose, who certainly have a sense of how things are and ought to be. It can refer to our dispositions toward everything in life. It’s the more permanent fruit of how we correspond to our consciences.
In fact, we need to see to it that our attitudes are taken care of. They should be properly cultivated, equipped and oriented. They should not be just left alone to develop by themselves, driven mainly by shallow considerations—emotions and passions, fads and fashions, all sorts of social conditionings, etc.
In these times with so many challenges, difficulties and other tricky elements, we have to see to it that our attitudes are well established. They are precisely those very intimate, internal principles, the basic expression and language of our heart that need to be guided and protected.
It’s our attitude that determines how we behave before different situations, issues, challenges, etc. It tells us when to be calm or agitated, patient or impatient, gentle or assertive, etc.
For Christian believers, the standard, of course, is Jesus Christ, who said he is “the way, the truth and the life” for us. He is in fact who and what we ought to be, the very pattern of our humanity, our source and end.
Let’s hope that we can be more aware of this need, and skilled to handle our duty toward it. We cannot deny the patent fact that many suffer from serious attitudinal problems, all crying for help. Objectively, that is, and not quite subjectively, since many may not realize they have such problems.
There’s a lot of apathy and indifference towards others. If not that, then there’s a lot of rash judgments and invasive critical thoughts towards them. Many just coast along in life, drifting without a clear sense of purpose. All of these indicate neglect and malformation in the care of our attitudes.
With the rise of technological progress, for example, we can see that while there is marked improvement in the quality of life for some, there’s also the downside that many misuse or abuse this development
The phenomenon of the social media, like the Facebook and the Twitter, is a case in point. While these electronic facilities expedite our communications, the problem now is what to communicate. Many people do not realize that the rise of technology is also calling for a rise in our sense of purpose.
Obviously, if we just keep ourselves at the level of greeting and communicating trivia, it will not be long before we deteriorate into gossiping and quarrelling over petty things.
Or we lapse into being just a passive observer, mainly wasting time. And what time we can waste just reading the postings there! Or we simply stop using them, which is quite a waste of resources given the many golden opportunities these technological advances can give us.
We need to have a clearer and higher sense of purpose to match the quantum leap of advantages these electronic devices provide us. Otherwise, we end up spoiled by them, confused and swallowed by their intoxicating properties, and later, enslaved by them. I don’t think this is just theory. It’s a very likely possibility.
We need to develop programs to address this urgent and widespread need. Technology has not only accelerated our pace of life. It also has increased our challenges, this time, more subtle and yet no less important and crucial. We have to help one another in discerning things and equipping ourselves with the proper attitudes.
This task can actually be pioneered by anyone. But most likely the best setting would be the families and the schools that are continually monitoring the developments around.
Parents and teachers should get together to plot out relevant strategies, always getting guidance from the Church and other moral authorities and experts. But the main focus should be the instilling of the proper attitudes in everyone.
I am sure it’s one of those sweeping, thoughtless generalizations that sometimes happen when we seem dominated by a certain kind of event. It’s a case of branding and stereotyping, similar to the Colgate of old to refer to toothpaste, etc.
But attitude is something we cannot avoid. It’s part of our system, of our being persons who think and choose, who certainly have a sense of how things are and ought to be. It can refer to our dispositions toward everything in life. It’s the more permanent fruit of how we correspond to our consciences.
In fact, we need to see to it that our attitudes are taken care of. They should be properly cultivated, equipped and oriented. They should not be just left alone to develop by themselves, driven mainly by shallow considerations—emotions and passions, fads and fashions, all sorts of social conditionings, etc.
In these times with so many challenges, difficulties and other tricky elements, we have to see to it that our attitudes are well established. They are precisely those very intimate, internal principles, the basic expression and language of our heart that need to be guided and protected.
It’s our attitude that determines how we behave before different situations, issues, challenges, etc. It tells us when to be calm or agitated, patient or impatient, gentle or assertive, etc.
For Christian believers, the standard, of course, is Jesus Christ, who said he is “the way, the truth and the life” for us. He is in fact who and what we ought to be, the very pattern of our humanity, our source and end.
Let’s hope that we can be more aware of this need, and skilled to handle our duty toward it. We cannot deny the patent fact that many suffer from serious attitudinal problems, all crying for help. Objectively, that is, and not quite subjectively, since many may not realize they have such problems.
There’s a lot of apathy and indifference towards others. If not that, then there’s a lot of rash judgments and invasive critical thoughts towards them. Many just coast along in life, drifting without a clear sense of purpose. All of these indicate neglect and malformation in the care of our attitudes.
With the rise of technological progress, for example, we can see that while there is marked improvement in the quality of life for some, there’s also the downside that many misuse or abuse this development
The phenomenon of the social media, like the Facebook and the Twitter, is a case in point. While these electronic facilities expedite our communications, the problem now is what to communicate. Many people do not realize that the rise of technology is also calling for a rise in our sense of purpose.
Obviously, if we just keep ourselves at the level of greeting and communicating trivia, it will not be long before we deteriorate into gossiping and quarrelling over petty things.
Or we lapse into being just a passive observer, mainly wasting time. And what time we can waste just reading the postings there! Or we simply stop using them, which is quite a waste of resources given the many golden opportunities these technological advances can give us.
We need to have a clearer and higher sense of purpose to match the quantum leap of advantages these electronic devices provide us. Otherwise, we end up spoiled by them, confused and swallowed by their intoxicating properties, and later, enslaved by them. I don’t think this is just theory. It’s a very likely possibility.
We need to develop programs to address this urgent and widespread need. Technology has not only accelerated our pace of life. It also has increased our challenges, this time, more subtle and yet no less important and crucial. We have to help one another in discerning things and equipping ourselves with the proper attitudes.
This task can actually be pioneered by anyone. But most likely the best setting would be the families and the schools that are continually monitoring the developments around.
Parents and teachers should get together to plot out relevant strategies, always getting guidance from the Church and other moral authorities and experts. But the main focus should be the instilling of the proper attitudes in everyone.
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