The average man leads a quiet life of desperation, said Thoreau.
This is but natural, to submit to the lowest common denominator. But need it be? There are three main spheres that concern the average man today.
The first is himself. Every organ in his body is performing its function to make him live a full fledged active life. Every piece of his flesh is coordinating with another to breathe life into him. His whole body functions like a well oiled machine. Should he not be grateful for this? That each passing day, his body has endured the forces of nature, performs its duty well and makes him move on, even as the clock ticks another second, his heart beating muffled drumbeats to the grave - to quote Longfellow?
Should he not be grateful for this? That not one part of the complex structure that he is, has not had a major malfunction, so far?
The other sphere is his interaction with fellow human beings. The average man has a family or at least is known to a certain ring of people around him. That is his social environment. He has good friends, enemies and others who don't care but know that he exists. Should he not be proud of his existence and his contribution to such a complex social structure. Friends may come, friends may go, relatives may turn against him, or he may find neutral companions at his office; considering the complex social politics that make all this happen. All this is his social environment around him, his own little world. Should he not be proud, that come what may this private social world is intact? Minus a friend or foe now, add a fried or foe next, or just plain onlookers who know his name and or where he lives?
The third sphere which is more of a lifeless nature are the machines around him that have so inconspicuously crept into his life that he now takes them for granted. Should not a man be grateful that each passing moment not one electronic, mechanical, electro-mechanical, digital, electrical device - et al, has never ever failed him in a way so as to cripple him, stop him in his tracks where he is helpless or grind his life to a stop. These man made devices that were introduced into human life ever since the stone man started creating tools, have now evolved into machines and devices, has never failed you in a manner so as to drastically reduce your quality of life. Should you not be thankful for this?
Every man should learn not be desperate about the larger forces of life beyond his control, but be thankful for the smaller mercies of life, if he has to appreciate the purpose of his existence.
5 months ago