Involving the mind

We live in an age of unprecedented abundance. The miracles brought to us by technological innovations have also brought with them new struggles. We consume more than we need. Comfort has replaced effort in our lives. Our appetites grow and are rarely satisfied. What is not exercised eventually weakens. The result is a society that is overfed and undernourished.

The sickness that I am describing is not only of the body but also of the mind. We count steps, do repetitions in the gym. We take careful doses of medicines, measure calories and hours of sleep. Yet we rarely ask: How long can I sustain a difficult thought? How long can I stay comfortable in discomfort? When was the last time I came up with an idea that truly was my own? How often do I evaluate my language? How often do I change my mind? Am I regulating my emotions? Are my convictions derived from what the masses told me is correct, or are they rebellious for rebellion's sake? Did I truly think for myself? Are my ideas tested against history?

We do not lack information. In fact, we are drowning in it. The problem is that we consume information without digesting it. Modern media has trained us for reactivity instead of reflection. Novelty over depth. Quantity over quality. Recognition rather than introspection, and endless consumption over recollection. The scientists building modern media have done their job well. Through repetition, we have trained ourselves to be distracted, but the distracted mind is not a permanent condition. It is just the result of a poor regimen that can be improved.

One of the inescapable laws of physics is the second law of thermodynamics: entropy. Entropy dictates that everything moves towards a state of disorder, and it takes energy to resist that tendency. Good ideas require resistance. History and philosophy provide it. It is the intelligence of man that allows us to ask: What is our place in the universe? What is a good life? What is freedom? What is my purpose? How do I know something is true? When should power be used? Learning history prevents us from mistaking what is fashionable for what is timeless. I am not suggesting we romanticize the past. But it is wise to escape the hubris of believing that the present is the only time there is wisdom.

Like strengthening the body, the mind needs purposeful exertion. The building blocks of the regimen are: