Thinking is in the colors

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”10/12″][vc_custom_heading source=”post_title” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Until yesterday, if someone were to ask me to name what I thought was the most significant reason of strife in the world, I would have said greed. Greed for power, greed for material wealth, even greed for acclaim … to me this is ultimately what causes ALL the problems in the human world. But after a discussion yesterday, specifically about evolution and those who willingly remain closed to even the POSSIBILITY of it being the reality, it dawned on me that there is another ingredient that basically ensures that greed holds sway. Simply put, it is the FEAR OF THINKING. People would rather be TOLD how to think then do it for themselves. Which means that they are easily manipulated. And those who embrace greed LOVE to manipulate.

THE PAST CANNOT BE CHANGED, NOR CAN WE RELIVE IT. MUCH OF IT IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THERE IS NOT MUCH THE PAST CAN TEACH US. WE NEED TO LEARN TO CHOOSE WHAT TO KEEP.

I am by no means an old man, but I have experienced more of life than many twice my age. And the basic reason for this is I am not afraid to learn new things. I am not afraid to find out that I may be wrong about something; not afraid to find that much of what I learned in my youth may have been misguided if not downright incorrect. The sad thing is that this kind of thinking is actually NOT the norm, or so my own experiences have told me. I am not saying I am specifically more unique than other people, but I do tend to see the world very differently than most around me. Prejudice, hatred, intolerance, closed minds, and the unwillingness to change all stem from the same root … fear of the unknown. But why do we so fear the unknown? Because it forces us to think. It forces us to question. It forces us to step outside of our safe zone.

Humans in general seem to be obsessed with the need to make sense of things. We want everything to be well categorized and structured. Many of us feel this need so strongly that we would rather accept something that defies logic if told to us by our supposed “superiors”, than explore deeper and see the possible flaws that such ideas might hold. We are trained from birth, with varying degrees of success, NOT to question, NOT to rock the boat. And we are also trained to believe that those who DO question are trouble makers … people to stay away from. We basically categorize everyone so that we know how to relate to them. The categories are often oversimplified, so that the world can safely sit in the black and white that  make so many feel comfortable. As a result, humans often fall into two categories … progressive and conservative, with many not allowing anything in between.

THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN. WE MAKE IT HAPPEN. CHANGE IS PART OF MOVING FORWARD, BUT ONLY CHNAGE THAT ACTUALLY IMPROVES. JUST BECAUSE IT IS OLD DOES NOT MEAN IT NEEDS TO CHANGE. WE NEED TO LEARN TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES.

In theory, conservative thinkers find no need for drastic change, and progressive thinkers often embrace it. In practice, conservative thinkers tend to live in the past, while progressive thinkers tend to live in the future. And the sad reality is the only time we can truly control is the present. This is something that those who have successfully obtained power over others recognize … even if not consciously. The truly scary ones are the ones who are aware what they are doing. Ultimately, control over others depends on ONE thing … information control. And the best way to ensure one controls the information is to encourage a distinct LACK of thinking. If people do not question, they will believe what they are told, simply based on their preferred “category”.

Ultimately, what I am saying here is the single most important thing ANY of us can do to make sure humanity grows for the better is to learn, and TEACH others how to THINK. We need to stop selectively choosing what “facts” we will let others have. We need to stop accepting information without question, simple because of who is saying it. We need to stop trying to force the world into black and white and recognize that it is filled with COLORS in unlimited shades. Being stuck in the past gets us NOWHERE. Living for an undetermined future is asking for disappointment. Making informed decisions NOW, based on our own THOUGHTS and CHOICES is the ONLY way we will ever learn to coexist in an acceptable way.

NOW IS THE ONLY MOMENT WE CAN TRULY AFFECT. LEARN FROM THE PAST. LEARN TO MAKE A HEALTHY FUTURE. THINK NOW !

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