In his book ‘The Strangest Secret’, Earl Nightingale says he once asked the late Nobel-prize-winning Dr. Albert Schweitzer, “Doctor, what is wrong with man today?” Dr. Schweitzer went silent for a moment and then said, “Man simply don’t think”. This cannot be further from the truth of what the world has become today.
From one generation to another, except for technological developments, some things seem to continue not to change. There continues to be a high level of oblivion to the fact that, as long as society keeps doing what it has always been doing, it will continue to be going in circles. It will continue to live a cyclical life with no real progress and evolution, and experience the same circumstances repeatedly. It so happens that if such results are degenerative, then the destruction of the very fabric that makes a great society continues to wither into extinction.
With all the motivation gurus combined and the propagation of having goals, the truth is that all these are superficial, materialistic and cosmetic. They do not truly hold either the intention to affect any fundamental change, but only to further the never-ending self-consuming mindset of consumerism. It only promotes conformity and the impression that all humanity has one and only superficial intention of self-service, consumption and insatiable greed for power and pleasure.
Often when one talks about living with intention, it is easier to drift away into the bigger picture. This is because to live intentionally, one must start with themselves before everything. One must first start questioning their every thought, idea and action. In other words, it requires intentionally putting time aside for such an exercise, and pondering even whether Dr. Schweitzer’s statement is true. Although the results may be surprising or not, one should set foot on a new trajectory about how one will navigate through life.
Living without intention is living and doing what has always been done without questioning. It is following the crowd for simply meeting the need to belong without weighing the outcomes, and whether those are meaningful to the impact one would like to affect, or a life one would like to experience. Living without intention may also be equated to blind faith. It is about putting all the trust in outer and external forces to determine one’s destiny, care-freely and without any responsibility.
Living intentionally, on the other hand, is rare because it’s hard. Often, those who bother to try fail because it requires one to grow a thick skin, as one may face serious backlash and ridicule. It requires high levels of confidence, high values and discipline. To live intentionally requires one to learn to live with discomfort, and forego the most sought pleasures and entertainment. It is even more challenging because it requires living for a greater purpose beyond oneself. Those who have lived up to these values often face prosecution, if not death. That is why some eventually give up and follow the masses or certain groups as they may face exclusion and deprivation of any possible sort.
Living intentionally is more than just an idea. It is a philosophy. Its foundation is rooted in creating deliberate moments of deep thinking. It requires unplugging from the daily customs of a routine of cable news, social media and trivial dopamine-seeking moments. Of course, to the over-stimulated minds of today, this may be a depressive exercise. Hence, its aim is to forge the mental toughness and bravery that will eventually transform into thoughts, habits and actions. It is these thoughts, habits and actions that will set a new dawn for the transformation of individual existence, and its ripple-effect will translate into a new and 2.0 society.
* Uncommon Sense is published in New Era with contributions from Karlos Naimhwaka. email, info@showzone.org