GuanYin Open Treasury 2016
As internet unlock the box of knowledge, success become merely a matter of time: as long as one works hard. But if we looked at the history, it defies this saying. For a long 1800 years, social hierarchy is rigidly prescribed. Financial market was immature so does capital not flowing well. Technology advancement didn't came for every hundred years. For one to move to another class of society is almost a miracle. If you are a Blacksmith son, you will be a black smith for your whole life. It might seems someone is severely ill for saying that they are settled the way they are now. But our forebears did enjoy something that are hard to find nowadays - a peaceful mind and calmness.
How proud one should feel if he manages to preserve himself a peaceful mind. Our age has a rhetoric that inevitably drives us restless. The crave for success unleashes the potential of all human and the productivity of a society but it has a nasty tail. That is it defies all reasons for one to lack of knowledge. Whether it is a language or programming skills, the reason for one not to know is only because one is either lazy or untalented. Nokia didn't do anything wrong. It is simply their competitor Apple and Samsung outweighed them by being technological well-informed and making breakthroughs. That means one second you stop and breathe then in the game you will be out.
It is surprising that the media think that we would feel grateful and be amazed by a new business proposal made by a billionaire, be interested to know a designer's new collection has just stormed the global fashion market; and expected us to applaud for human vision greatness without feeling a slight of jealousy. Success is forever a abnormal phenomenon and bound to be anecdotal case. But the media regardless cherry-pick them and is never too busy to show us the achievement of others; some are even younger than us. Success is happening every second. There is simply no reason not to believe that you are the next example.
Education to all is a rather a new idea developed in the near 200 years. Internet has expanded the elasticity and coverage of education. But the spread of (fragmented) knowledge started early as news. One British newspaper in the early 19th century described their target audience this way: Our standard readers are those who worth £10 annual but can be enticed to believe that they can earn £1,000 per year. You got to read them in order to be a well-informed and a worthy man. Now you can learn anything about the society anytime, anywhere. As education and internet help equalize the majority of society, it also brings us to a undesirable direction - a cruel society. One can no longer excuse himself for not knowing something. One doesn't know a thing because one haven't looked it up. One merits there success and earn there failure - in other words you deserve what you get.
The mental burden brought by the overwhelming Artificial intelligence is unbearable. We benefit so much from the a matrix of common wisdom. But at the same time it is swallowing us like a swirl. We probably arrived what Flaubert pointed out in his 《Dictionary of Received Ideas》 : pieces and fragments of information are on the hands of mediocre mass; which is more dangerous that knowing nothing. He critizie that news lead to mass to generate more prejudice only knows part of what has happened. A government do not necessarily restrain, censor and forbidden information access to gain control. It can simply releases waves of information in the amount of which ordinary man can't manage or can't bother to figure it out. No one sees clear the picture and a city can be forever in chaos.
It might be helpful to look at how religion handle information. Religion knows people well. It knows that you can't bombard a person and expect him to remember what you say. You need to repeat. Repeat not just in every Sunday. But also in the morning, before you go to bed. Don;t forget to repeat the Scripture, the Bible or the Koran under a solemn environment where God greatness contrast human modesty. Architecture is important. That is why Churches are built nicely where light shines through pieces of colourful glass. And then a good presenter, one that speaks gently and soft like a nice teacher or a good mother. We need a consolation. And there is a power in religion that are yet explored fully by us.
For one who want to find peace and calmness. It might be helpful to look to religion. Religion requires us to have to certain censorship. Cut off yourself from the secular World for a second and meditate. Forget a volcano is burbling in Indonesia or the slaughter ongoing in Middle-East. Ask who am I? What do I live for? A prey would be relieved from mania and pray.
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