Exploring the Social Imagination

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

3 in One Post in 3 Parts~The Social Imagination


Part one~

Today's kids, corporations, paganism, and the deconstructing of society all have my attention, stirring my 'social' imagination. So, why not write about all of it. Recently, a grandchild told me that her generation knows it all. Well, for grandparents that is not new news. What grandparent hasn't heard that... right? But, still I was taken aback. Why? Because, the justification was that her generation knows more as in are smarter because of technology. They are smarter and wiser. Really?

I guess that means this generation disregards who actually came up with the technology that in their opinion makes them so smart and wise. And, is that really being smart just because you can check information in Wikipedia? Certainly not wise. Are they smarter because they can text a friend, Tweet and Instagram simultaneously with incredible speed? Do they even realize that most of what they are learning, tweeting, instagramming about has been framed and shaped by elites running social media?

Of course, we all like having Wikipedia at our finger tips but for kids that have no solid foundation of history, science, philosophy, geography, mathematics etc... it is just dishwater information that they pass on to get a prize or recognition for. It has no depth of meaning in their social imagination and that scares me. For example, someone recently put up a youtube video of a 13 year old claiming to be a physicist with no higher education to back it up. He claims he came up with a way to harness energy that is all around and in the ground. Mmm sounds like Nicola Tesla's work and it is but the 13 yr old physicist never mentioned Tesla.

Is it necessary to mention Tesla? Yes, because he did it first and sadly we have yet to get with his genius. Would this matter if we did this time and well Tesla or not at least we finally came to our senses, right? Some might think so. But, then tell that to the many who struggle to patent their products and or innovations.

Locally, a nearby school district has though finally figured out that kids cannot be on the honor roll no matter how many A (s) they have in art, music, and sports. If we want to move forward as a society with a higher level of social imagination then we better teach these kids and not lead them on into thinking that they already know everything.

Who, is to blame? We are for having a deconstructed social imagination!

"You people really know everything don't you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you! Well, I know a few things myself...wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old. But true wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are His. A wise man wouldn't answer that question (posed above) as the wise don't engage in empty chatter. You act as if you were the first person ever born. Do you have a monopoly on wisdom? What do you know that we don't what do you understand that we do not. Is God's comfort too little for you? Is His gentle word not enough? What has taken away your reason? What has weakened your vision?" ~ Job 12:1-15:12.


Was it ever totally and perfectly constructed? Yes, and out of pride we turned from it...

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