I work at a library, and part of my job involves helping people find books to read.
One disturbing sentence keeps popping up.
"I don't like to think."
People actually say this--unabashedly even.
They say when they read they don't like to think. I've also heard some of these same people say when they go to the movies, they don't like to think. When they watch television, they don't like to think.
It occurs to me that when shows like Jersey Shore get more viewers than Mad Men, there's a very good chance we've turned into a non-thinking society.
What I find interesting is the assumed flip side of the statement.
It's as if people are saying--"When I'm being entertained I don't like to think, because I'm thinking the rest of the time."
In reality, we all know this isn't true.
Many of us could go days without engaging our minds in actual thought.
Some people avoid anything that involves conversation or disagreement.
How often do you hear people steer discussions away from politics, religion, and other hot-button topics because they're worried that things will get heated?
Perhaps maybe they're also worried they won't be able to keep up.
Me? I like to think.
I don't do a lot of thinking in my everyday life. Plus, I find thinking to be--gasp--enjoyable.
Who said you can't have fun and think at the same time?
We should be concerned that so many people are unaware that whether or not you realize it, when you're taking in mindless entertainment, you NEED to think about what you're seeing or what you're seeing will do the thinking for you.
I watch fluff on television too, but I think about why I like what I like.
We have completely devalued intelligence in this country.
I'm not just talking about education. I'm talking about actually being smart.
Suddenly, "smart" has become a bad word.
Nowadays in school, if you're smart--you tone it down. You use smaller words. You avoid "showing off."
No wonder other countries are kicking our butts in subjects like math and science.
In places like India, they strive to be intelligent.
Here we beat up the kids that get straight A's.
Where does this come from?
It comes from saying "I don't like to think."
It comes from creating a culture (and I use that word loosely) of people who really do just want to be drones that sit back and let hours of meaningless programming pour over them while they eat junk food and barely maintain consciousness.
Like I said, I like to think.
One of the great things about this country is supposed to be that we're given the right to think, to argue, to challenge, to ponder, to ruminate, to dissect, and to theorize.
Did I use too many big words?
Well, I'm not apologizing for it.
If there's one thing we need to do more of in this country--it's thinking.
One disturbing sentence keeps popping up.
"I don't like to think."
People actually say this--unabashedly even.
They say when they read they don't like to think. I've also heard some of these same people say when they go to the movies, they don't like to think. When they watch television, they don't like to think.
It occurs to me that when shows like Jersey Shore get more viewers than Mad Men, there's a very good chance we've turned into a non-thinking society.
What I find interesting is the assumed flip side of the statement.
It's as if people are saying--"When I'm being entertained I don't like to think, because I'm thinking the rest of the time."
In reality, we all know this isn't true.
Many of us could go days without engaging our minds in actual thought.
Some people avoid anything that involves conversation or disagreement.
How often do you hear people steer discussions away from politics, religion, and other hot-button topics because they're worried that things will get heated?
Perhaps maybe they're also worried they won't be able to keep up.
Me? I like to think.
I don't do a lot of thinking in my everyday life. Plus, I find thinking to be--gasp--enjoyable.
Who said you can't have fun and think at the same time?
We should be concerned that so many people are unaware that whether or not you realize it, when you're taking in mindless entertainment, you NEED to think about what you're seeing or what you're seeing will do the thinking for you.
I watch fluff on television too, but I think about why I like what I like.
We have completely devalued intelligence in this country.
I'm not just talking about education. I'm talking about actually being smart.
Suddenly, "smart" has become a bad word.
Nowadays in school, if you're smart--you tone it down. You use smaller words. You avoid "showing off."
No wonder other countries are kicking our butts in subjects like math and science.
In places like India, they strive to be intelligent.
Here we beat up the kids that get straight A's.
Where does this come from?
It comes from saying "I don't like to think."
It comes from creating a culture (and I use that word loosely) of people who really do just want to be drones that sit back and let hours of meaningless programming pour over them while they eat junk food and barely maintain consciousness.
Like I said, I like to think.
One of the great things about this country is supposed to be that we're given the right to think, to argue, to challenge, to ponder, to ruminate, to dissect, and to theorize.
Did I use too many big words?
Well, I'm not apologizing for it.
If there's one thing we need to do more of in this country--it's thinking.
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