On the Defense of a Difficult Life

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On the Defense of a Difficult Life

         For the last 12000 years, humanity has dedicated itself to the improval of our own quality of life. In the advent of agriculture and smithing, it was realized, over time, by the greater population, that life need not contain such suffering. Eventually humanity industrialized and technology became the driving force behind economic and geopolitical growth. As the edge of science presses further into the unknown, it becomes easier and easier for the common man to lose sight of where this journey all began. The reduction of suffering is the overarching principle that subtly exists behind all innovation.
         Consider the dishwasher, a simple invention designed to reduce the amount of work one might have to do in the kitchen upon preparing a meal for their family. It is a simple and honest attempt to improve others lives. Similarly, the microwave, the carriage, a pair of scissors, the blender. Any sort of technology may be argued in the defense that it was simply a righteous attempt to make somebody's life better. Any reasonable man would not be against the improvement of technology, at least not any technology that makes another's life improved. However, there does exist a silver lining in the development of tools, products, and services that only exist to make life easier.
         With the progression of phones, social media, music, podcasts, artificial intelligence, and all other digital noise that makes up our daily lives, the benevolence and the dignity behind the simple progression of technology is lost in the corruption of wealth, power, and information. The younger generations are especially at risk in this new world order we have ushered in. The ideological belief that we can reduce suffering through furthering the reach of human science and technology is being pushed to its limit. I believe this limit has in many cases been and will be further broken. It has reached criticality; the ability to think, reason, and engage with the world is being snuffed out by the cold hands of the system.
         This life which people are being led and manipulated into living is not a life worth living. On the surface there is a lack of suffering, pleasure is available in any form at a moment's notice; but looking deeper it can be found that this easy life lacks purpose, drive, and human resilience. It is necessary for the people caught in this trap to recognize their situation. Self awareness is the simple first step to living a life that will fulfill and rekindle the spirit that is lost.
         It is my proposal to any reader that the difficult life is the life worth living, despite its unappealing nature. A difficult life is what will satisfy the lingering desire many will feel that they are something more. It is the feed that will nourish the appetite of a determined being. I will not say that all are capable of a commitment to this life, it is the nature of randomness that exists in human personality, many will prefer the easy life where their own thoughts are discarded as useless sentiment. I believe however there are many who still contain the fire of humanity that conquered the seas, rebelled against evil, and charted unknown lands. I believe these few will refuse to let their fire drown in the storm of technological oppression, surveillance, and a lack of suffering. I believe these to be the ones who will die impressed with their own passion, filled with fulfillment and vigor. I believe these are the ones that will give hope in dark times when all seems lost.
         In all this, I am telling you, seek the difficult life, seek the life of freedom and thought, seek the life of reflection, passion, and pain, seek the life of exploration and principle, seek the life of honor and reputation that refutes oppression and manipulation, seek the life that denies yourself the corrupting pleasures of an easy life.