Independence in the new Age
Scientific studies have established that cats can hear upto 5 times farther in terms of distance than a human, dogs can hear upto 4 times farther than a human while monkeys can hear a couple of times farther than a human. It means that millions of years of evolution has established that it is wiser for man to hear within certain boundaries. Wonder why. May be the repercussions of hearing beyond were counterproductive to the human civilization. May be man was smart enough to mind his own business and could survive without sharp hearing. May be man became smarter as he focused on his own life within his four walls while his evolutionary counterparts continued to be nosy …. or may be that he just started respecting the independence of others beings in the ecosystem … we can’t be sure.
Today technology and digital media enable the fickle man to know, hear, see and be far beyond himself. There have been many repercussions of technology and scientific advances in the recent history. One need not even mention it; it is out there for all those wise enough to see and comprehend. Whether it be for the individual or for the society, the outcomes seem to be bittersweet. But it seems man has chosen to accept them and live with it, believing that it is what will continue to bring him what he desires. May be man feels he is in control and knows what he is doing. Or may be today we believe that armed with scientific knowhow, information and technology; we are the smartest to ever roam the face of the earth. May be man is setting aside incidents captured in the pages of history and ancient scriptures believing that he is too advanced and superior for that. By doing so, man may be undermining the experience and wisdom of generations of our ancestors; whose tolerance, sacrifice, hard work, righteousness and struggle made us smart, capable and independent today. Least that man could do is to be mindful of and respect what they left behind; the culture, the resources, the traditions, the values, the scriptures, the history … the independence.
In any case it would be advisable for man to tread with care. He needs to be humble to himself, to other beings and to the entire ecosystem while he aspires in going from good to great. More so, as providence with its slow and steady accomplice – the age old ‘evolution’, watches on and smiles upon us as we venture into unchartered territories; as if to say … your independence in this world came at a cost ….
So don’t just wish it but live by it …. Happy Independence Day !