Thinking In Soundbites

by Reza Ganjavi

One of the key issues in our world today is speed. Spread of high frequency electromagnetic radiation pollution has not helped it -- add to that insomnia pandemic and the use of chemicals and drugs associated with it -- you know, sleep too little -- stimulate the body with uppers (caffeine...) -- then try to find peace by depressing it via alcohol etc. -- so the world generally lives in a state of disharmony on the nervous system and far faster than the norm in our evolution.

One of the consequences of this, I believe, is prevalence of sound bites. I have come across so many people -- be it lower educated older adults or younger people -- who are incredibly impatient -- hardly able to pronounce a mature idea in a full sentence or paragraph -- verbally or in writing -- and are thinking in sound bites. Media helps that.

Twitter, which I have never been a fan of, is a culprit, and news media and political strategists who cater to the less educated, smaller minded people -- who think FOR them and spoon feed them with sound bites.

Facebook is also a huge culprit. It was intended for sharing pictures -- fair enough -- but now it's turned into a cesspool of sometimes inaccurate quotations and sound bite. I am skeptical of all quotes I read on Facebook because for some reason many people who want to get attention, or whatever the motive, they fabricate quotes or recklessly propagate inaccurate material without scholarly integrity of checking the source or providing reference.

The same thing happens with J. Krishnamurti whose sound bites I found to be even less meaningful since he was not an academic and not incredibly accurate -- but he had limited choice of words to describe a big vision -- how well he did it is off topic here -- but taking his quotes, out of context, I found problematic and unhelpful. And bunch of stuff attribute to him are not even his.

So be skeptical about all sound bites you read on social media and elsewhere. And preferably find the source and read the whole sentence or paragraph or better yet the whole page or article.