Category: Society
The young people’s search for optimism and for hope
Even personal problems, if constantly ruminated on, can drown any person’s enthusiasm. The young people of our day have the chance to leverage historically unparalleled resources and make a real difference.
An eye for potential vindicated through actions
The ability to perceive, and to look deeper than mere appearances is a truly wonderful gift. Deeper insight is in the very constitution of some from birth. For others, it can at best be a gained skill. While for the former it comes effortlessly and naturally, for the latter it comes as a labored, deliberate…
Discovering optimistic individuals and their contribution to our world
In this interconnected modern world, there are possibilities like never before. The possibility of discovering optimistic individuals who can contribute positively to our world is definitely there. It is with optimism for such a possibility that enormous efforts have been made. From a local level to the global, this possibility drives so much human communication.…
John Steinbeck about understanding people
John Steinbeck is a great writer, as the Nobel committee seemed to have suggested. He answered the recognition in his own way. It is a pleasure even reading his quotes. As he says, understanding other people – that would seem rather obvious to be the cornerstone of communal living, of individuals co-existing in society. While…
We have the basis, the infrastructure to develop upon – further thoughts from Jeff Bezos
We have the basis today for a life hardly conceivable even a few decades ago. Great strides have been made, thanks to science, architecture, and the development of the arts through its expressions. A young person today can work at home, and then, walk to the nearest coffee shop. There he can sit alone or…
Jeff Bezos’s view of the world and his understanding of the future
Jeff Bezos, like others, has a worldview. A view of the world, or also called worldview, is such a fundamental part of our thinking. As one approaches toward the end of one’s expected life, one finds that it is this view that was guiding him as a person. Jeff Bezos’s view of the world would…
Realization and changes
There is a lot in life that depends upon realization. We have the information before us a lot of the times. The judgments as to whether that information is correct or not are important but remain secondary. The more important factor is to move from interacting with the information and move on to the point…
Identity and self-expression; with some ideas from David Hume and Swami Vivekananda
The act of writing, as one does in one’s own journal or a personal diary, brings a person into a unique state of mind. It is the same state of mind as one has when one is talking to himself. These peculiar practices of writing to build a self-record and the talking to oneself are…
The experience of engaging with people – how a change in views is a fundamental need and also beneficial?
There isn’t a greater art and more of it needed at this time than of engaging with people. Engaging with people should be considered the end of all philosophy, systems of belief, or even the systems of society. When a person engages in thinking out solutions to issues or attempts to foresee the end of…
When the creative meet the unrewarding world of social networking – a basis from Bertrand Russell
A [creative] boy will toil up hill with a toboggan for the sake of the few brief moments of bliss during the descent; no one has to urge him to be industrious, and however he may puff and pant he is still happy. But if instead of the immediate reward you promised him an old-age pension at…
The culture of self in societies that appear connected
A true community is not just about being geographically close to someone or part of the same social web network. It’s about feeling connected and responsible for what happens. Humanity is our ultimate community, and everyone plays a crucial role. ~ Yehuda Berg It is a particular trait among thinkers and of their thinking to…
The Guardian’s Cambridge Analytica & Facebook data story
The algorithm used in the Facebook data breach trawled through personal data for information on sexual orientation, race, gender – and even intelligence and childhood trauma Source: How Cambridge Analytica turned Facebook ‘likes’ into a lucrative political tool | Technology | The Guardian Public data has become a means of dispassionately looking at humanity for…
Finding belief in moderateness in the nuclear age
Nuclear technology is not bad in itself. We have understood the sun and the stars, and in a way, have harnessed the same power to a lesser extent. We have controlled fission, and are yet to understand ways to control fusion for peaceful purposes. The insistence on using solar energy to fulfill the requirements for electricity…
How compulsion and desperation are driving the conversation toward extremes
A conversation has the power to liberate a human being. It has the power to set free the mind from bondage. Even one exchange of ideas is able to give a new direction to the thinking of a person, or the chance of realization. Why would anyone want to do so? The real reason has…
What kind of conversations can truly produce change in society?
Conversations are the most powerful tool to bring change in society. In a civil society, it is the only acceptable tool. It is true, we have to make an assumption about a society being civil in the first place. Aside from a limited personal experience and association, a very cursory reflection on the whole of…
1 – Aadhar – The belief in the possibility of a good, honest society
To avoid distraction, I have placed a note in the footer. Please read it first, if you wish, to gain perspective about this presentation. The nature of humans and the nature of government: It would seem that by now we would be absolutely clear about these two matters. As it turns out, we are not. …
Making the link between technology, culture, and youth – Arianna Huffington on Thrive Global
Come join me to discuss, debate and ask questions, kickstarting this urgently-needed conversation to ensure that 2018 is the year when we put technology in its right place and take back control of our lives. Source: An Open Letter From Arianna Huffington to India on our Relationship with Technology | Thrive Global The original article…
Curiosity and a spirit of adventure for those who seek answers, not absolute certainty
While it is very desirable to be able to come to a point of certainty, it is not always possible. The rules we set, the goals we pursue, the desires we cherish could be examples of stable reasons for actions. However, these too can change with time. What appeared to be certain yesterday can appear…
How can we use the speed of communication technology to social advantage?
In ancient times, a man would get on a horse if there was an important information to be delivered quickly. Horses were kept and cared for, for times just as these. Maybe the rider was sleeping in his bed. He was awakened for the express purpose of having to get the horse ready and deliver…
How does a movie differ from real life? And why does present life seem like a movie?
Art follows life, or does life follow art? This question seems nowhere more relevant than in the case of movies. Movies are the depiction of life. The characters in some cases are so relatable, that people have seen themselves on the movie screen. They learn lessons, find out their own mistakes, and understand more about…
How the medical myth of drug treatments has created a whole culture?
What is a myth? A myth is a traditional story consisting of events that are ostensibly historical, though often supernatural, explaining the origins of a cultural practice or natural phenomenon. The word “myth” is derived from the Greek word mythos (μῦθος), which simply means “story”. Mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. Myth can…
Are there reliable ways of finding out the truth about a person on social networking? Part 2: conflicts
There are people who are peaceable. There are people who avoid conflicts. There are people who realize that it is not for one person to solve the problems of another. Yes, help, hope, and a willingness to listen can be offered. A kind word of encouragement is also possible to give. However, it is rarely…
Are there reliable ways of finding out the truth about a person on social networking? Part 1: imaginations
This post is not about technicalities of social networking. It is not about finding the exact IP address or other analytics data about a person. This post is not about finding technological features to accurately geo-locate a person. What this post is about are the limitations of human understanding, the capability of humans to deceive…
Man-made labels for social convenience and simplification
It is amazing to consider, that a human being would willingly accept a label to define his entire existence. There are many labels in existence. People label themselves based on education, profession, family, country, or religion. With an expanding knowledge, each of those labels proves insufficient and incomprehensive. So, in order to identify oneself, an…
How the Internet has changed leadership, its place, and its functioning
It is no secret that the Internet has changed how human society functions. There are specific effects that can be observed no matter where one looks. However, it is the effect on leadership that is most notable. The way the Internet and its related technologies have developed, leadership is most definitely affected. Who is the…
An imaginary world built through radio, television, and the Internet challenges reality
Mankind stepped into a new era when information could be transmitted over invisible waves to bring audio, and then, a combination of audio and video to so many people.
How is hope the basis of a social movement?
So, really, it is not just the changing objectives but hope that is keeping the ideology of a movement in continuation. If there is a hope worthy of maintaining, the social movement will find regenerative power.
The book of human existence
There is the impossible task of asking society to offer solutions to problems that society itself has produced, tolerated, or silently witnessed for so long. When such a task is undertaken, there is the danger of quickly losing balance in any line of reasoning or with any argument. As soon as a statement can be…
Are your beliefs a response to external information?
Beliefs are one of the most fascinating, and some would say, the most significant component of the ideas that a human being holds. It wouldn’t be wrong to say, there is always some emotional connection to any idea that forms a part of the beliefs of any human being. When a wife believes her husband…
