Have you ever contemplated why everything seems so complicated in our lives?
Have you ever considered whether our constant societal advancements are a blessing or a curse? I have been pondering questions like these for years. I mean, look at us! We are constantly seeking innovative ways to make our lives easier! We want everything to be faster. We want to be more intelligent, stronger, more successful, and more prosperous. Are we exhausting ourselves trying to keep up with all the endless changes and demands for perfection. Why do we feel the need to keep proving and performing? Whatever happened to just “being?”
Our days are flying by faster and faster. I mean, it’s July already! Where has this year gone? Doesn’t it feel like we are nonstop day after day? We are consistently chasing more and more, and somehow, it can feel like we end up having less and less of what really matters! By “less,” I mean less connection with the people we love, less time in nature, and less time doing the things that bring us joy! We are more connected than ever, but research shows that the quality of our relationships continues to decline! Why is that? Have you noticed that many of us are slowly becoming more isolated? How could there not be ramifications of wanting to look at our phones rather than spend precious time with our spouses? So many people are living vicariously through the internet and social media. When we aren’t working, why are we still looking at our phones? Are cell phones more interesting than real people?
Whatever happened to work-life balance? Has the digital age made it nearly impossible to disengage from work? Are too many of us entirely relying on technology, and it feels like burnout is always looming? Is the ability to get an answer to any question at any time really a good thing? Is there such a thing as too much information and too many choices?
Okay, so yes, I have been asking a lot of questions but here is the BIG question: Has modernization, consumerism, and the digital age overcomplicated humanity?
Here’s a little more food for thought… Did you know that according to the United Nations, over 476 million indigenous people are living in 90 countries all over the world? Have you ever wondered what their lives are like? I have, so I decided to start researching the lives of indigenous people, and I can tell you that there doesn’t seem to be anything primitive about them. Indigenous people live very differently than we do. Their skills are remarkably diverse, and honestly, we can learn a lot from them.
For one thing, money is not the key to happiness for indigenous people. Most are poor, yet their life satisfaction ratings are similar to those on the Forbes 400 wealthiest Americans list! Can you believe that? Can it be that simpler lives can be equally as fulfilling as complicated ones? Well, don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging. I am willing to bet you didn’t know they spend far less time working than we do. Fact! Most indigenous people only work about 15-20 hours a week! When they are not working, they are spending time with their families, singing, dancing, spending their days in nature, and cooking together! Their talents are extraordinarily diverse.
indigenous people live peaceful lives by dismissing some of the very concepts that we all value. They dismiss concepts like ownership, competition, vanity and greed. They disavow violence. Indigenous people practice only eating things given to them by someone else, fostering community and cohesion. Wow. That is certainly far from what is going on in our world. I also couldn’t believe it when I read that neither sex is dominant. Interesting, don’t you think?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying their lives are better than ours. I am just sharing thought-provoking differences. Indigenous people, specific cultures, and even the animal kingdom have lived the same way for thousands of years. Most of us tend to believe that our modern society is inherently better. Correct? But is it better? Having asked that question reminds me of a story I read years ago. Have you ever heard the parable of the fisherman and the businessman? It is a story first written by Heinrich Theodor Boll. Consider doing so if you haven’t read it. For me, it was eye-opening. We are all inundated with so much information and progress, yet we are still starving for wisdom and love. Are we masking our depression, anxiety and fears under the veil of work, success and progress? Is it worth it? I’m not quite sure it is. Only you know what is true for you.
PriscillaTheo