my views

It's good to see a discussion taking place after quite some time. BTW what are we discussing about. Bala said that technology and modern life is taking a toll on our way of living. He cited a few instances where he would have been better off without the intervention of technology. Kicha replies that,"our innate feelings have taken the back seat... " since technology has invaded entered our lives. He said that we have no option left and that it is not the technology that is to blame, but the people. Our prioritizing (or rather the lack of it) is what causes the problems. Valli has cited an example where prioritizing allows her to enjoy a better life. And she also gave examples of how technology gave her some freedom echoing a few thoughts said by Kicha. Manny, Valli and Kicha have all said that technology is in the hands of the individual, not the reverse. Amazingly everyone has a valid point in agreeing that we cannot do without technology in the modern world. The question, what if technology begins to control us, is best left for sci-fi authors and writers to answer. As long we don't surrender the things that makes us human to technology, we are doing fine.

"Within this realm of choicelessness, we do choose how we live". - Joseph Epstein

Coming back to my opening statement, what are we discussing about, 'Is technology ruining us or helping us?" Can someone tell me? Interestingly Bala also said that "Simple pleasures in life will make a huge difference." I wonder why no one has any comments on that statement. So instead of giving a few examples and explanations on whether technology is ruining our lives, I will speak about simple pleasures in life. There are several such things that can help you a lot. Small things like Rini's newest hobby of collecting pictures of Indian sculptures or Manny's hobby of reading books may seem a waste of your precious time, but they are helpful in your life. I recall a story that I read somewhere, I guess in "The Seven Habits". A new recruit to a group of woodcutters noticed that every couple of hours the woodcutters would stop their work and spend some fifteen to twenty minutes talking and joking. He thought that he should not be wasting that time (roughly one hour everyday). So for the next few days, he did not join the others during thier breaks and instead worked hard. At the end of the day, he felt proud that he had not wasted his day. But he noticed that the others had cut the same amount of wood that he had cut, inspite of them wasting an hour during the day. He couldn't understand it. Watching them keenly during the next couple days, he understood why. During the breaks that the woodcutters took, they sharpened their axes fine. The moral is that you can indulge in pleasures without compromising on anything. I feel that everyone should cultivate a hobby. It can be anything. Anything that you feel is precious to you and worth spending some time on it. BTW, Rini, what happenend to your garden. But I have to confess that I don't have a hobby. A hobby has to pursued with zeal and determination, which I feel I lack. Nowadays, I just go out at night as fast as I can on my vehicle. It is a refreshing experience. Especially with Coimbatore having a wonderful winter climate this year. The best times to go out is after 10 pm with little or no traffic and the fine mist descending to the ground. You should feel the cool wind blowing on your face, a mild shiver passing through your body, your breath forming little clouds in the air. It is an experience to be enjoyed. I guess it is hard to experience a similar feeling in Chennai now, but Bangalore, Lexington (i guess it is around 1 or 2 degrees C there) and Hinckley (what's the weather there, 10-11 degrees C) would provide the right climate for experience what I had described. Waiting to see where the discussion will lead, BTW, Kicha, your closing quote form Lennon was quite apt. But since quite a few people might have heard that song, I am posting the lyrics to the song. It becomes more meaningful.

Imagine there's no heaven, It's easy if you try, No hell below us, Above us only sky, Imagine all the people living for today... Imagine there's no countries, It isn't hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, No religion too, Imagine all the people living life in peace... Imagine no possesions, I wonder if you can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man, Imagine all the people Sharing all the world... You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one, I hope some day you'll join us, And the world will live as one.

Though this song may seem unrelated to our discussion, I felt that everyone can have a good feel of a world if we can just imagine. I hope you feel inspired by the song.