Gotta wonder

I'm constantly reading news articles on-line or getting lost learning something on Wikipedia. It seems that part of my day is spent wasting away in front of a computer and I feel I better spend part of that day improving my knowledge base if I'm not doing anything else productive. And since I'm convinced that the way I live my life is probably not unlike a majority of people in the cubicle workforce, I'm wondering if we really are improving as humans. Are we getting smarter, wiser, better than a generation before. If yes, then in what ways? If no, then by God why don't we put a stop to it? Once you reach the point in your self-education where facts are no longer being gathered, but instead, opinion over the impact of certain facts becomes the impetus for growth then we are left with very little to base our own opinions upon and we get stuck in a seemingly pointless debate over...well...nothing but speculation. In other words, if everyone is fully aware of the facts of any given situation, why do we spend so much time discussing and debating its impact? Does anyone really plan to make a change in there life over any news stories they read or discovery about the world around them? Maybe so. I guess I'm talking about culture change, which takes a very long time to culminate into a visible difference. Nevertheless, these things happen. I've seen them change in my own lifetime. From ecological concerns, to human rights, to views on business and religion. In our teaching to the next generation, some of those opinions start to become facts. By gathering a number of varied opinions, I also find that both sides of an issue are often defensible. This is the split. This is where you reach your very own ethical dilemma where personal values win the day, if you have any. And where did those values come from? They come from the generation you were born into. If you or I had been born 100 years ago, our values would be completely different and we'd feel just as justified about our particular stance. So that begs the question, are the values of our generation the "right" ones, or even the "best" so far? What sociological atrocity are we committing unknowingly right now in the name of ignorance? Surely history will tell. This all just turns into a landslide where ethics have no ground to stand upon unless you have something concrete to base your values in. And guess what, you are ultimately responsible for creating your own solid foundation, otherwise you will continue to point to fallible authorities for your reference and find them faltering when they are truly tested. All this information, all these opinions should be taken with a grain of salt. Study it, know it, understand it, but form your own opinion and back it by getting involved or keep it to yourself and don't foul the waters with your uninformed attitude. And most importantly, log off, turn off the computer, the video games, the ipod, the TV, the camera, the Tivo, the Blu-ray, the cell phone and just go out into the world and be a part of it instead of hiding behind technology for your experience. Real, corporeal, human, flesh & blood experience is waiting for you right out there. There's no need to lose yourself in technology, the real world is truly a far more amazing place. There is a happy ending, you can choose a positive point of view, you have the right to be forward moving and full of joy in simply using these tools but not depending on them.