Too many words
 

Everywhere we turn today we are bombarded with words. Whispered words, printed words, screaming words. Words that are intended to entice, convince, sell, cajole, seduce, convict and get our attention. We spend 12 to 16 years or more listening to words spoken to us by teachers. Politicians tell us they have the way to make things better, preachers tell us to repent, advertisers tell us why we should buy their product, bartenders yell out “Last Call”. Signs tell us to stop, to yield, no parking, no left turn, quiet hospital zone. Billboards, radios, newspapers, magazines, television, traffic signs the internet all speaking words to us. It wasn’t so long ago that none of this existed.
Is all this having an affect on us? What is it doing to us? I see people in cars all on their handhelds either talking or driving and no-one is paying attention to each other. People on mass transit with headphones, smart phones, I-pads, newspapers, and even books afraid to talk to the person sitting next to them.
Where are we headed? When did I get so cynical? I don’t trust what our leaders say. Not just government leaders but those industry, churches, and charities … etc. Was it always this way?
Sometimes I like to take what I call a media fast. No media at all including electronic media and print media. Nothing but blissful silence. I get to talk to my wife and friends, play music (imagine that) and just sit and be. It’s a great experience for me. I might do it for a couple of days, a week, even a month. I find myself more peaceful and in tune with my surroundings.
Comments? Anyone else ever fast media?

Tldr.

+1

The fact that I stopped to read this thread proves I am not currently media fasting at this time. My media fasting times are between the hours of midnight & 5:30am. :P

Whenever I "media fast" it usually involves myself out in a natural setting under the influence of psychedelic drugs.
To be quite honest, Im a bit overdue.

Irony- taking 288 words to say there are too many words.

People these days talk too much and say too little.

Thats the truth.

Im often the quiet type (when not intoxicated) as I prefer only to speak when I have something to say.
Even still I probably talk too much.

I've been on this so-called media fast for 3 years now and that's the way it's going to stay. My life is so much better without all that dumbing down. The types of media I avoid completely are tv, newspapers and magazines (Bass Player being the exception). I do take in the internet, which I find to be useful, informative and entertaining. I also ingest as much music and art (mostly music) as I conceivably can every single day. I consider it to be one of the best things I've ever done for myself and that's the way I'm going to remain.

“The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you've gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you've gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can talk with him?”
Lao Tzu

Nice, I'm almost there. I do get some news from PBS, alternative radio and newspapers, especially during baseball season. :p Like you I listen too a lot of music. I also read a lot of books.

I like words, they're useful.

They do the job. Just like a hammer does the job for driving a nail. Using 10 hammers is just a waste of time, though. ;)

Yeah but there's many word out there so you don't have to hammer a nail with a shoe. It's all about the proper usage.

Agreed.

Unfortunately, and IMHO, the English language has been *******ized beyond its potential usage.

word

I can't say. I barely get by with it. However, my French is perfect and it's a much more precise language imo.

French, IIRC, is also a much older and more developed language. All the same, however, English, at least in NA, is not used to its full potential by the average speaker.