Q: I sometimes feel like I am the last rational person left on earth. Am I right? -Black Sheep

A: You are not alone – there are at least two of us left.
I know exactly how you feel. I look around and see all the unexplainably dumb things people do and think to myself, “I would never do that, and I don’t see how they could ever let themselves do it, either.”
I suspect that we are not the last two rational people left. Anyone who has raised their head for a bleating (oops, I mean “fleeting”) moment above the herd has probably had the same sort of revelation as you and I.
The trick is finding these people, because it is apparently not very “cool” in this day and age to admit that you have your head sitting squarely on your shoulders.
Rational thought seems to have been cast aside in favor of the flavor of the week, whatever new ideology is popular for now (with college students, the prevailing ideology seems to be hedonism).
This may sound a bit preachy, and it’s supposed to be.
While it is apparent to me (and you, I’d bet) that it is usually not in one’s best interest, for example, to frequently “forget” to study for major exams, I see people who do just that all the time as if they didn’t have a care in the world.
A logical examination of the situation would reveal that the rewards of studying clearly outweigh the consequences of not studying.
The same test applies to almost anything else that people do.
Say you are thinking about taking up smoking. Think logically for just a moment.
What are the pros and cons? Cigarettes might make you look cool and they might calm your nerves, but none of this is worth a lifetime of diminished lung capacity and a very unpleasant death.
I’m not just picking on slackers or smokers (although they are good examples).
All I really want is for people to think. Think before you do anything. Think about who you might help. Think about who you might harm.
Don’t go through life taking the easy way out, following the herd and never looking where you’re going, or one day you might find yourself somewhere you had never intended to be and not have an explanation for how you got there.
No one is going to live your life for you. If you choose not to do anything with it, that’s one thing.
Living in willful ignorance is another thing altogether, and it is (in my opinion) the major factor in most problems today.
This may all sound a bit vague, but life is vague. There are no clear cut answers as to what any one person should or shouldn’t do, but careful thought and reflection will never let you down. At least if you screw up you will have someone to blame.
Questions? Comments? Send your emails to et_enchilada@yahoo.com

Author