Posts Tagged: slowing down

“Unethical Behavior and Speed”

On January 15, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer


A friend of mine woke up during the night a few days ago, and had a wonderful insight: “Unethical behavior does not have to be caused by malice or ill intent, and is just as likely to be the result of hurrying.”

That is a profound truth, and very well said!

I helped him remember that he wanted to share that with me, because of a little vignette that I gave him from my own morning.  I had a couple of very small victories this morning, thanks to slowing down.  I was trying to fix a zipper that was stuck on my gym bag.  “Fixing” it meant that I was about to strong-arm it in the direction it was stuck.  This would, no doubt, have fixed it permanently—sort of.

But then, I believe that God told me, “Slow down, and think!”  The reason that I think this was probably a God thing is that I am a very impatient, impulsive person.  I would never have thought of something as obvious as slowing down and thinking.

So, instead of forcing the zipper in the direction it did not want to go, I gently zipped it in the opposite direction.  Then I very slowly and deliberately zipped it in the direction of its stubbornness.  There was a bit of the lining of the gym bag that was in the way.  I smoothed it down with my finger, and the zipper went all the way with great ease.

A few minutes later, I was about to throw away a pair of earbuds, since they were no longer working.  But again, I slowed down and thought.  And then it hit me: Hadn’t I changed my settings on my smart phone to “Do Not Disturb” yesterday?  Maybe that was the problem?

It was.

Of course, zippers on gym bags and earbuds are small potatoes.  But what about bigger things?  What about being in a hurry in my car?  What about being in a hurry to “fix” my wife’s problems, instead of slowing down and actually listening to her.

Speed is a drug that no one can afford to use.  It leads to unethical behavior.  And maybe, something that leads to unethical behavior is unethical behavior itself.

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“THE (MIS)INFORMATION AGE?”

On August 26, 2018 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

I’ve tried to enter the twenty-first century.  I really have.  I have learned how to turn on a computer, and even use it a bit.  I don’t very often look up words in my print dictionary.  (Where is that dusty old thing, anyway?)  Instead, I google words.  I have a Face Book account, and occasionally look at it, though I’m not really sure how it works.  I like to find out about little-known authors, musicians, and philosophers by reading what Wikipedia has to say about them.  I even use the computer for research and teaching.  So, I am not a total luddite when it comes to the internet.

However, I wonder sometimes about this time in which I live, this “Information Age.”  Sometimes I wonder.

I encountered a man the other day, who was making a bunch of really bizarre claims, all of which he had found (I think) on the internet.  It sometimes feels to me as if we live in the “Misinformation Age.”

But I have an even deeper misgiving:  What if we’re drowning in information, even as we are dying of thirst for wisdom?

What is the difference?  Aren’t information and wisdom the same?

I think not!  I’ve known people who were cornucopias of information who were about as wise as a bucket of rocks.  Who knows: The rocks may even have been wiser than them.  By the same token, I’ve known people who were wise, but had very little information.

Wisdom has been defined in many ways.  My current working definition is this: Wisdom is the consistent determination to decide what really matters, and to live out consistently what really matters.

I encounter a lot of people these days with lots of information, but very few who are living wisely.

Now, don’t misunderstand.  Information can be very helpful.  Whether you are cooking a meal or doing brain surgery, information has its place.  Whether you are cooking me a meal or operating on my brain, I will be much happier if you know what you are doing.

But even in those areas, mere information isn’t enough.  Wise decisions can’t always be made apart from good information, but good information doesn’t necessarily lead to wise decisions.  An informed cook or a skillful brain surgeon needs to be wise in deciding whether a rich dessert or tricky brain surgery is really the best way to go.

So, how do we acquire or deepen our wisdom in the information age?  I don’t know, but I have some suspicions.

The first order of business is to become dissatisfied with mere information.  Questions must be asked.  Is this information relevant?  How important is it, really?  Is this information accurate?  How do I know it is accurate?  (The current philosophy seems to be that, if I heard it on my favorite network or internet source, it must be true, and everything else is “fake news.)

The second thing I would suggest for anyone seeking wisdom is to slow down.  Information moves fast.  Wisdom does not.  Let information pass you by.  Don’t worry!  It may well be obsolete soon anyway.  In fact, it may have always been obsolete.

Third, take the long view of things.  Information shouts, “Now!”  Wisdom whispers, “Now.”  These are very different “nows.”

 

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