Charity is a virtue a lot of people claim to have, but what’s the true motive for charity? Is it vanity? For some, that seems to be the case. Instead of truly helping those in need, giving to the needy has become an accessory to our overall image and sense of self. The goodness in giving to others just isn’t what it used to be.
Now that cameras are always in the palm of everyone’s hands, we’re all starving...for attention. People are desperate to convince themselves and others that they are good people, pretty people, people who deserve your praise and attention. The lesson here is this: True charity comes from the heart, not the palm of your hand.
Our relationships with our phones, and with people online, have taken over our relationships with loved ones in reality. What’s online can be edited, tailored and absolutely perfect. This “perfect world” has ripped us out of the moment. How can you foster a real connection when you’re not paying attention in the now? You can’t, and that’s why so many relationships fail now.
Another interpretation of this speaks to the harsh truth most of us face in love today. It’s mindlessly easy to find a romantic connection online now. People in relationships are constantly tempted online, and with a few taps on a phone, infidelity creeps in without a physical act ever even happening. Put the phone down and cherish the people who are presently by your side.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s exactly how we convince everyone that our lives are going great. When in reality, we’re falling apart slowly, isolated with our own pain. The fact is life is hard—like really hard. No one’s life is perfect, and the toxic pleasantness we see on social media is a farce.
No one is peachy-keen all the time. Just know that what you see is only half the story. That girl with the pretty pictures may be struggling with an eating disorder. That muscular athletic guy may have body dysmorphia. That “rich” girl may be struggling to pay rent. We’re all going through something, but if we’re honest, we can get through this together.
These days, there’s almost nothing money and a little bit of surgery can’t fix. Changing things in our health and lifestyle is hard work. A complete lack of discipline—and a need for instant gratification—in our society has led us to depend on surgery to fix the things we don’t like about ourselves and our bodies. The true fix, however, is in the journey to accepting and correcting those things ourselves.
Through discipline, conversation, and a little elbow grease, working through life’s problems can provide lifelong lessons that give you something to replace that dissatisfaction with ourselves. Medications and surgery have their place in the journey to self-betterment, but the road less travelled will be much more fulfilling in the long-haul.
Public fear of censoring and surveillance is at an all-time high. The fact is the men in suits are watching. Everything you do, everywhere you go, what you buy, and who you talk to is known by someone somewhere. And it’s not just the big man upstairs. Our devices and public infrastructure leave no stone left unturned.
It’s an eerie thing to think that you’re always being watched. There have been numerous cases of government overreach and invasion of privacy, but it seems as if nothing ever changes. So, smile, you’re on camera...all the time. Just don’t ask too many questions, or you’ll end up like poor Snowden. Don’t pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
