Problem Solving
What a time to be alive, am I right? People can access information more easily and immediately than ever before in the human history, as far as I know. I always leave some room for the possibility that time could be a sort of circle, and everything is happening all at the same time, so the past would be the future would be the now, and in that case everything that we have in this moment was also present and as accessible as it was or will be in any other moment so maybe we’ve always been as we are, just with different tools. What I’m saying now-now though, is that the internet is a powerful tool.
These days, when I don’t know something, I can know it in a minute tops. I pull out my phone and ask the worldwide web and the answer presents itself to me and all I have to do is read, or in some cases, listen to a computerized voice tell me the information I was looking for. Then I know. I mean I know for at least a few minutes then I’m liable to forget everything I just read or heard. That’s the beauty of it being on my phone. It’s right there for me whenever I need it and I can preserve brain space for information I feel is more necessary to retain. It’s also the curse of it being on my phone. It’s right there for me whenever I need it and so inevitably I become hyper dependent on my devices. My silly little brain stays empty and dull and I let the world pass me by, content to consume content, wasting away in front of my screen.
What I’m really thinking about today though, is how that information exchange affects other aspects of our lives. Almost all the questions I ask myself throughout the day have an easy answer which I can find it instantly. I don’t have to think about it. I don’t have to ideate. I don’t have to find a way to be ok with not knowing for a while. Now, if it’s something trivial like how long it’ll take me to get across town or why I haven’t seen the same products in the grocery store or what that actor’s name was, fine. Might as well just look it up and get it out of the way. But what about questions like “why do I feel a little different today” or “how long am I going to be looking for a new apartment” or “will I ever get to where I wanna go in life” or even “what way am I supposed to go… in life”? Sometimes I ask myself those questions. I’m pretty sure those answers aren’t on my phone. So what do I do when I don’t get an immediate answer?
Take a deep breath. Let it go.
When it starts to feel so easy to be right, it can feel just as easy to be wrong. And in an age where information seems to rule all, it’s really uncomfortable to be without that information. I try to remind myself it’s not wrong to have questions without answers. It’s good to go through things and be unsure. Not having an answer is a very different thing than being wrong, though. It’s ok if you don’t know. Don’t let impatience get the best of you. Knowing everything is boring. There’s beauty and growth in the mystery. Let the search for knowledge take you on an amazing journey, and embrace the fact that you are learning. You’re sharpening your skills, learning resilience, becoming brave.
What a time to be alive.
-J.P.