The world around
and the world wide web, is openly offering freedom for my mind. Freedom from
the traditional beliefs, ways of thinking and values that I have held on. Whether
it be for the values that undergird my personal life, societal or life as a
nation. It offers alternative frameworks and answers for the foundational
questions, that I thought I had a grip on. Even for the logical thinking and scientific
temper, the world is offering an alternative.
The question I
am grappling with is, what is offered as freedom is it another form of slavery.
Freedom from one way of thinking to be enslaved to another way of thinking. The promotions through the AI based algorithms,
are so efficient that once I put one step into the waters of thinking differently,
the systems start pulling me back in, with regular updates on the same themes.
Of the varied
alternatives that are being offered – three remain upmost in the wanderings of my
mind. One – the values that undergirded my personal and societal life, and what
I believed should be the foundation of my nation and world at large. Values of
truth, integrity, justice, equity are replaced by truth as what is accepted by majority
– the post truth world, integrity and equity as relative, justice as what is
just and right for me, and at the most some trickle down from the rich to the
poor. Everything is relative, what is accepted and promoted as right is right,
and all are expected to align.
Even as a professional
the scientific temper is being challenged. Evidence is in the eyes of the practitioner. Science
is what I chose to believe. Evidence based protocols are being brushed aside
for what eminent people think they feel right!
The foundational
questions of life – the origin, destiny and meaning and what does it mean to be
human is being challenged too. Secular humanism based social media platforms portray
origin as by chance, a destiny that holds no hope, a meaningless existence and dilution
of understanding humanity and personhood.
As written earlier,
the AI based algorithms and bots offer me an array for choices for such alternative
thoughts, based on tracking of my search preferences. These constantly bombard
me in my social media platforms.
There is an
internal challenge that these lead to. An internal challenge of confusion and
lack of clarity and a resultant inward curving. If I am what matters, and everything is relative,
there is that gradual movement to be “self-absorbed” individual. Become part of
a selfie generation. Confused by the
pressures from the outside world, retreat internally to become an isolationist,
using groups and groupies only for self-promotion and not to find meaning! The
pandemic and lockdown have not helped at all – rather has worsened this self-absorption!
I need to
protect and preserve my mind amid this new freedom being offered. Should I be
progressive or regressive, is the question. A progressive is one who aligns to
the new thinking patterns that is emerging around us. Progression is flowing with
the current. Even political and national frameworks, expect you to contribute
to this progressive thinking – be part of what everyone thinks, even if it is actually regressive! At best, you are allowed to look within and find answers that come
from you and yourself, but not the from the traditions or experiences of the
past, unless it is part of majority thinking! And regression today in one sense is going against
the flow.
In one sense,
look back at the foundational understanding that nations and kingdoms and
progressive thinking will come and go, but Gods greater purposes and truth will
prevail in the end.
Look around and see the brokenness and pain around.
Look ahead
how can we be channels of blessing to a world that is groaning, crying and waiting
for a future redemption.
A life that is driven by a mind that is free to fly
again, flow against the dominant narratives. Not alone but along with a community that flies along...
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