This is a thought that comes from the 'Memory Paradox' earlier, where I worried about how our memory was being transferred to gadgets, leaving us completely devoid of memory, and then, feeling. With gadgets taking over our original thinking, I am more than convinced that we have been reduced to being people with a lot of backup memory - that we carry in our hands, pockets, bags etc. Now this current thought explores the connection between heart and mind (with memory playing a crucial part in the drama of course) - a thought that always intrigued me.
When the mind is kept active, or 'actively inactive' as gadgets tend to make it, I suspect we find no space for reflection, for original thought, for feeling. This active inaction, could lower the amount of 'feeling', which is the space of the heart, and also the space where original thought grows from. So we could be looking at a whole lot of people 'busy' with gadgets, but who have no experience with real feeling (all feelings have been reduced to pressing a 'like' or a 'love' button, which can be done with superficial engagement). This could also explain why when the real feeling kicks in, due to a real experience, people cannot handle it anymore and are killing themselves for the smallest of reasons. The over engagement with the mind, and underused heart is at the root of this.
The changing of a relationship status on facebook to 'single' is the reason for many heartbreaks in this superficial world of the 'mind'. In a real world of the 'heart', it would require the person to face the other and tell him or her why he/she chooses to end the relationships - a decidedly traumatic and emotionally draining experience. Even if one had to write a letter to explain it, the feeling, emotion or heart element would come into play. But clicking a button?
The more superficial our world becomes, the more superficial and mediocre stuff we will create. And since all of us are products of this backup memory generation, we will know nothing better than to clap at the mediocrity on display. Where people use words and emotion without knowing what it is to experience them fully - merely read a book on 'how to', see a few movie scenes and say 'hey that seems to work so let's copy that', and then make up everything - from software programs to music to movies to writing - and beat our chests about how wonderfully successful we have been in marketing it to the tastes of the audience.
To me the true test of the work of the heart, the original thought, is in its longevity. Would it be remembered for its feeling, its thought - and influence viewers, creators and readers many years later? To me it would be in exploring the parts of us that remain hidden and bring our feelings that we hide. The great classics do that - they make us feel noble, happy, sad and all that. They make us feel better, as people, even if we had always felt lesser than others, and leave behind a taste of that noble, 'real' feeling. They do not simply aim for greatness by making us relatively happy, by mocking at those who are lesser than us.
It's time for creating some space for the feelings, for the heart. Space between us and these gadgets that are as clingy as some shallow and dishonest relationships can be in the name of 'love'. A love that seems to thrive on physical contact and always possessing. Having all the bytes, without experiencing the making of even one.
More heart then, more space to feel, and to create. More time with oneself. So we can create. A gadget-free day could make us all realise this connection between the mind and heart. And bring hearts closer. Life closer.
When the mind is kept active, or 'actively inactive' as gadgets tend to make it, I suspect we find no space for reflection, for original thought, for feeling. This active inaction, could lower the amount of 'feeling', which is the space of the heart, and also the space where original thought grows from. So we could be looking at a whole lot of people 'busy' with gadgets, but who have no experience with real feeling (all feelings have been reduced to pressing a 'like' or a 'love' button, which can be done with superficial engagement). This could also explain why when the real feeling kicks in, due to a real experience, people cannot handle it anymore and are killing themselves for the smallest of reasons. The over engagement with the mind, and underused heart is at the root of this.
The changing of a relationship status on facebook to 'single' is the reason for many heartbreaks in this superficial world of the 'mind'. In a real world of the 'heart', it would require the person to face the other and tell him or her why he/she chooses to end the relationships - a decidedly traumatic and emotionally draining experience. Even if one had to write a letter to explain it, the feeling, emotion or heart element would come into play. But clicking a button?
The more superficial our world becomes, the more superficial and mediocre stuff we will create. And since all of us are products of this backup memory generation, we will know nothing better than to clap at the mediocrity on display. Where people use words and emotion without knowing what it is to experience them fully - merely read a book on 'how to', see a few movie scenes and say 'hey that seems to work so let's copy that', and then make up everything - from software programs to music to movies to writing - and beat our chests about how wonderfully successful we have been in marketing it to the tastes of the audience.
To me the true test of the work of the heart, the original thought, is in its longevity. Would it be remembered for its feeling, its thought - and influence viewers, creators and readers many years later? To me it would be in exploring the parts of us that remain hidden and bring our feelings that we hide. The great classics do that - they make us feel noble, happy, sad and all that. They make us feel better, as people, even if we had always felt lesser than others, and leave behind a taste of that noble, 'real' feeling. They do not simply aim for greatness by making us relatively happy, by mocking at those who are lesser than us.
It's time for creating some space for the feelings, for the heart. Space between us and these gadgets that are as clingy as some shallow and dishonest relationships can be in the name of 'love'. A love that seems to thrive on physical contact and always possessing. Having all the bytes, without experiencing the making of even one.
More heart then, more space to feel, and to create. More time with oneself. So we can create. A gadget-free day could make us all realise this connection between the mind and heart. And bring hearts closer. Life closer.
2 comments:
Beautiful. You have accurately captured the poverty of today's youth who are flush with gadgets but lack a human connection. We have been through times when all we had was time without any gadgets where we had to devise our own entertainment and experiences. Perhaps that is why we feel the lack more.
Thanks Ranjani. I do feel blessed that we were in a generation that moved from the Flower Power days to the iphone days. But yes, I do believe that if we do not make space for the heart connection, we will end up being shallow and incapable of handling humans - something we cannot totally replace with gadgets however much we may want to.
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