Couples spend an average 12 minutes a day talking to each other. We spend 40 minutes a week playing with our children. What's wrong with our lives?
Consider these facts:
The average American is now subjected to over 3,000 adverts per day. Over 90 percent of teenage girls say that shopping is their favourite activity. Over 31% of teenagers sincerely believe they will be famous. By the age of 70, the average person will have spent four years of his life watching TV commercials. On YouTube, Nick Bailey, a 17-year-old boy was so enamoured with his newly purchased Nintendo Wii gaming system that he filmed himself removing the packaging. Seventy thousand people watched the video in the first week alone. Now there are websites devoted exclusively to the thrill of unpacking and unwrapping.
In Japan, young busy couples can hire a family to visit their parents. The parents need to save face, so they would rather have a hired family visit than none at all. For a fee, you could request two staff members at a popular London hotel to come up to your room and recreate the magic of childhood by starting a pillow fight with you (with the other staff member acting as a referee).
The average American is now subjected to over 3,000 adverts per day. Over 90 percent of teenage girls say that shopping is their favourite activity. Over 31% of teenagers sincerely believe they will be famous. By the age of 70, the average person will have spent four years of his life watching TV commercials. On YouTube, Nick Bailey, a 17-year-old boy was so enamoured with his newly purchased Nintendo Wii gaming system that he filmed himself removing the packaging. Seventy thousand people watched the video in the first week alone. Now there are websites devoted exclusively to the thrill of unpacking and unwrapping.
In Japan, young busy couples can hire a family to visit their parents. The parents need to save face, so they would rather have a hired family visit than none at all. For a fee, you could request two staff members at a popular London hotel to come up to your room and recreate the magic of childhood by starting a pillow fight with you (with the other staff member acting as a referee).
Couples spend an average of 12 minutes a day talking to each other. We spend 40 minutes a week playing with our children. Around half of the population complains they don’t get enough sleep.
What’s going on with our lives?
Jean Baudrillard a French philosopher believed “the masses aren’t the Social. They absorb all the social energy, but no longer refract it. They absorb every sign and every meaning, but no longer reflect them. They never participate. They wander through meaning, politics, representation, history, ideology, with a somnambulant strength of denial.”
What Jean Baudrillard was commenting on is the poverty of meaning, the embrace of mind-numbing prime-time television and the cultural deadening of the Western conscience. If, after slogging away at a hard day at work, you return home to watch television religiously night after night, you may just understand what Jean Baudrillard was worried about. The undertow of the idea is that people can numb out and lead non-participatory lives. They’re not excited by much and feel they have little control over their existence. “As soon as you notice the slightest sign of indifference, the moment you become aware of the loss of longing, of enthusiasm and zest, take it as a warning. You should realise that your soul suffers if you live life superficially,” wrote Albert Schweitzer.
So what can you do about it?
Baudrillard, J. (2007). In the Shadow of the Silent Majorities or the end of the Social. Semiotext(e): Los Angeles.
Andrew, C. (2008). The Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life. Harper Collins.
See also:
CecileAndrews.com. "Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life" (accessed January 30, 2011).
Source:
Jean Baudrillard a French philosopher believed “the masses aren’t the Social. They absorb all the social energy, but no longer refract it. They absorb every sign and every meaning, but no longer reflect them. They never participate. They wander through meaning, politics, representation, history, ideology, with a somnambulant strength of denial.”
What Jean Baudrillard was commenting on is the poverty of meaning, the embrace of mind-numbing prime-time television and the cultural deadening of the Western conscience. If, after slogging away at a hard day at work, you return home to watch television religiously night after night, you may just understand what Jean Baudrillard was worried about. The undertow of the idea is that people can numb out and lead non-participatory lives. They’re not excited by much and feel they have little control over their existence. “As soon as you notice the slightest sign of indifference, the moment you become aware of the loss of longing, of enthusiasm and zest, take it as a warning. You should realise that your soul suffers if you live life superficially,” wrote Albert Schweitzer.
Read on
- Turn off the television. It’s not as hard as you may think once you get into the habit. If that’s difficult to achieve, unplug your roof aerial. You’ll find that you will still watch movies, but at least now you have the choice about what to watch.
- Join a Simplicity Circle. Simplicity Circles are for people who are interested in rekindling their sense of joy while reducing their ecological footprint. They’re for people who want to live a balanced, happier, and more genuine life. As part of a Simplicity Circle you will be invited to rethink your life balance and work on ways for improving you and your family’s well-being.
- At a Simplicity Circle, people are not focused on disparaging success, rather focusing on the potential emptiness of success if it is motivated by greed. You will discuss with other group members about how to simplify your life so that your life feels validated and feels more "your own." The philosophy of a Simplicity Circle is Mindfulness, not Mindlessness. You will be encouraged to make something of your life in unique and satisfying ways.
- Think about your attachment to objects – the things that you use to clutter-up your life. Think about your shopping habits and your consumer behaviour. How can you be more mindful in your buying choices?
- Look at other ways that you can cut back on being so busy. Decide on one thing each week that you will cut back on. For example, cut back on your time commitments, cut back on clutter, cut back on the dryer and hang out the washing instead.
- Write up your goals and plans for the future. Think about short-term and long-term goals. Discuss your goals with others. Find local resources and research how to turn your goals into reality.
- Have fun! You only have one life! Live it meaningfully! Live it mindfully!
Baudrillard, J. (2007). In the Shadow of the Silent Majorities or the end of the Social. Semiotext(e): Los Angeles.
Andrew, C. (2008). The Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life. Harper Collins.
See also:
CecileAndrews.com. "Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life" (accessed January 30, 2011).
Source:
Suite101:
First Posted on Jan. 30, 2011
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