Stress From Nothing

The title may seem like an oxymoron, but I'm referring to the tension that arises from boredom and disquiet. It is through the unrest and dullness that I find myself able to write and think. I'd speculate that Aristotle, Socrates, etc., had quite a bit of free time on their hands. I'll move on to the real topic of the night.

It is reasonable to say that we Americans have an extremely great standard of living. Large televisions, houses, and multiple cars are a staple of nearly all homes. This may be the most comfortable, luxurious time in the history and future of this country (I know that there's currently a recession), and yet most of us are dissatisfied. It is most evident in America's young adults. We are in a desperate search for fulfillment and purpose, whether through music, religion, partying, hooking up, drugs, relationships or fame. We want instant gratification. We want more.

I believe that this is also related to the advances in what I'll call human knowledge; referenced in my first blog (science, math, philosophy, psychology, etc.). We no longer live in the days where lightning bolts were thrown down by Zeus. The balance between the explainable and the unexplainable is so tilted towards the former that we have reached a paradigm shift without really realizing it. Logic and reasoning are becoming our foremost convictions. There are now distinctions between those who are religious and those who have faith. The "Christian" stamp is going through a depression. The girl who bawls tears on Sunday and has a foursome on Monday isn't rare. One who lives the faith is.