As people live more and more in the screens of our myriad electronic devices, and less and less in the realtime, face to face world — we find it easier and easier to dismiss each other with a simple swipe or touch of those screens, or an on/off button. We are becoming more and more 2D “virtual”, and less and less 3D “real”. Even evolving 3D screen devices present a surreality. We are living more and more in a conjured world — in cities of the mind.
It is a dangerous subconscious dehumanization, and in that, a subtle devaluation of each other, as flesh and blood. We have become more or less electronic entities we can have appear and disappear at whim and will. The internet, cable, and dish onslaught of things to attract us and distract us, via the “instantaneous streaming” of significant elements of our reality(s), create fewer and fewer ‘whole’ things in which we are substantively grounded, making much of our daily life ethereal, temporary, and superficial.
We are bombarded daily by unfounded supposition, opinions, dogmas, and blatant scripted lies; as well as immersive presentations of fantasy realities via movies, commercials, and video games. This occurs to such a degree that reality has become fluid — perceived truth has become relative. All of this leads further to dehumanization and devaluation of “real” human life.
We face an incredibly volatile situation, perfect for abandonment of a sense of responsibility for the real world, our earth in which we physically live — hence the acceleration of ecological disasters and burgeoning environmental collapse we are now witnessing. It also makes it much easier, through mislead and subterfuge, for evil, exploitive agendas to take root. Agendas that can develop into very serious real world social exploitation — hence, the growing Trump nightmare, and the other demagogs that have begun sprouting forth in society. So just where are we now? These are tense, dangerous, and potentially explosive times in which we live. Ours has become an ever more fragile world.
reality’s now fluid
my life’s untethered
*
rob kistner © 2021
Poetry at: The Sunday Muse
Wise and true my friend. It is sad especially for the generations of young people today and tomorrow.
I guess Carrie, it is tradition for the old to worry for the young. But the madness prevalent in these times feels far more dangerous than when my generation took the stage at the end of WWII. As that war ended a great period of optimism was born in the US. It may have proved not to last, but we at least began “believing” in the myth. Today there is disillusion, fear, failure, and hatred greeting the upcoming generation. My heart breaks for my grandson. Perhaps I have just become a gnarly, grumpy old curmudgeon? I hope the hell that’s all it is!
A stunning haibun! Cities of the mind …. have become sub-divided to the point we no longer recognize them.
Thank you Helen. I always feel so helpless. I am not certain words and warnings can turn the destructive tide of the human tsunami that is wreaking havoc around the globe.
My eldest granddaughter turned 21 this week, and with her and others of her generation, I believe hope in not lost. Us oldies must do our best to support and inspire youngsters to overcome any negative thoughts, and aim for the positive!
I guess I like to take a Pollyanna view of life. 🙂
I hope your positive instincts are correct Jinksy. We are handing the generations to come quite a mess, both ecologically and socially. I hope the best for my grandson. He is 7 and quite brilliant. Maybe, if we can stop our destructive ways and attitudes, he and his children can save the human race.
Rob, it is everything you say it is. That’s why I think getting out in nature is more important than it ever was. It’s real and there is no denying it. How do we stop those who are threatening the natural world? Once that’s gone, we are gone, both in a truth and literal sense. I don’t want to be around to see that day.
I think you and I will be spared the catastrophe. I just hope we can begin a turn around that will spare my grandson.
truth has become smoke
reality’s now fluid
my life’s untethered
Most excellent. And agreed — we did not evolve for millennia with all this, and do not have compensatory instincts. The cat is out of Pandora’s witching box, and she has claws indeed.
Thank you JR. we are never going to get the cat back in the box — where we go from here I am not certain.
Will we get to the Star Trek stage of our bodies disintegrating into particles and reassembling in transporting from one place to another? You think?
Happy Sunday
Much love…
Not anytime in the near future Gillena, but perhaps if can learn to effectively address individual molecules for quick and accurate reassembly — then maybe. Conceptually we understand it right now..
You hit a right chord here, Rob. Truth is bitter but it still there eroding the human soul.
Thank you Sunita.
So true. We are detached beings for sure. It is truly a dangerous ledge we are living on.
Hope we can once again reestablish then maintain our balance Susie?!
You hit the truth… so did Graham Edge when he penned Late Lament. What’s left for us the reader to decide is whether we go along with your previous commenters, believing the worse is yet to come (contrary to Basie/Sinatra) or, denying the negative flow, become part of a positive solution.
Since I spend my time in a classroom for most of the year, I see much to hope for.
Nice, thought-provoking writing.
Thank you Charley!
It might be interesting to see the thread of the present dislocation in a narrative. We’ve been living through a great acceleration in the idea that we should have more, more, more stuff and that stuff is more important than (some) people and that our stuff brands us as who we are and that’s now compounded by the idea that we can sliver parts of ourselves off online, further honing that brand. Where and how is community and empathy allowed into that fortress?
The internet has distorted the meaning of community, as well as empathy, given one can be anonymous or hidden behind a false identity.
We are in a sad state, and I feel everything around me become more and more fragile. Gorgeous haiku at the end of this, Rob.
Thank you Sara!