(the orb awaits a response)

Hello there.

Merca, Keeper of the Mind. Pleased to meet you.

If I was how would I talk to you?

A source of information. It is up to you to embrace it or reject it.

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THE MIND

Thought, Knowledge, Wisdom

The mind is governed by thought. It is thought in which people have the most control, or at least the perception that they do. Many thoughts are centered around the manipulation of the world around us, but very little in understanding it. Energy is focused on providing for the needs of the body: such as food or shelter.

People do dream however, that there is usually a yearning for more while trapped doing things simply to live and survive. It is our imagination that gives people true freedom.

We are creatures of habit, and knowledge is what often reinforces what we do. People are ultimately lazy, and this is by design: to spend as little energy as possible to yield the greatest results. Through knowledge we find easier ways to live our lives and we do so. This is knowledge's primary function. Curiosity is what drives us to discover and understand our surroundings. It is what allows people to overcome one of our most primal of emotions: Fear.

Wisdom is the ability to not repeat mistakes, to apply knowledge that we gain and in some cases gain deeper understanding and insight to the world around us. It could be considered our sixth sense, as what we discern through wisdom cannot be done so through the five senses of the body. Also, in much how our body can manipulate the environment; it is our minds that can be used to manipulate others.

 

IGNORANCE

Although it is said that ignorance is bliss, it leads to the greatest tragedies in the world. It is unsettling that many people are encouraged to be ignorant. Even people who consider themselves very knowledgeable are ignorant. Even you as the reader are ignorant. Do not take it as an insult, for everyone, including myself, are ignorant.

The problem that exists with ignorance… well, problems, is how people abolish ignorance. Some choose to remain ignorant and blissful; however choosing to remain ignorant is not nearly as dangerous as people who lift the veil of ignorance, but only halfway.

These people often paint very dangerous pictures of the world. They are the people who fuel racism and division. They place the world's problems upon others, and convince themselves the solution is the removal of what they believe is the problem. The most common solution produced is violence.

Enlightenment cannot be attained through self annihilation, for there will be no one left after the smoke has settled. People need to have their eyes opened all the way, and understand that everything is connected. That everything that happens… happens because of something else. There is always a reason.

MATURITY
Reason, Respect, Responsibility

Reason
One of the key factors in maturity is to act on thought and not on impulse. There should be a goal in mind, as well as method to achieving that goal. It is important that people be able to reason out and justify their actions, it reduces the amount of unexpected and unwanted consequences that inevitably crop up when any action is taken.

Respect
People also need to recognize that their actions will affect more than just themselves. Everyone has their own feelings and opinions, and it is wise to keep others comfortable within reason. Imposing one's own will and view on others inevitably leads to strife.

Responsibility
No one can predict all the consequences from an action. Should things go wrong, one should take action to correct or lessen the impact of the mistake that was made. However, the correcting action should be taken carefully as well, or things that have been made wrong could be made even worse.

People who do not follow these concepts are not truly being mature. Such people are reckless in their actions, caring little for people who in their way. Ultimately they dismiss the consequences of their actions as "It's their problem."

Age does not dictate maturity. It is unfortunate that people act with so little reason, respect, or responsibility. That it is expected that other people follow the principles of maturity, but do not adhere to it themselves.

PAITENCE AND
COMMON SENSE
(or lack thereof)

One of the great dangers of today's society is the instant gratification too many people have grown up with, or have been accustomed to. There are very few things people have to wait for, and even when they do, it's only for a few days.

It is of very little wonder to me that people have very little patience and quickly lose their temper, flying into a rage. Some people throw a fit while on the road because they hit a red light, or something equally inconvenient to cause a person to reach their destination just a few minutes later than expected. Another example is of children who kick and scream because they must have something right then and there.

Few people these days seem to realize that patience is a virtue, and is needed to get by in life in relation to many things. Most importantly is the time needed to reflect on one's actions: to actually think on things and decide if something can be done different, or if it even needs to be done at all.

Another great danger today is the rather uncommon common sense. I do not think it is as much the fault of the individuals, but more so society and the pressure that is placed on people. Unfortunately this pressure, instead of being used to make people do sensible and responsible things, is used to make them do stupid things. I am unsure how many people realize that stupidity = money, but the more people realize it the better. Most responsible, sensible things that should be common sense don't make money, so there is very little pressure for common sense items in our society. Lack of patience and common sense is just going to breed an increasingly unstable society.