The Zen of Communication, Part 2, Addendum
by Harry on Apr.28, 2009, under Language
In my post “The Zen of Communication, Part 2“, I wrote about a fellow who said “hello” as he passed me on his walk. About that encounter, I wrote “I’ve had this simple, spontaneous thing happen to me many times, but every time it happens, it reinforces to me the beauty of friendly connectivity and communication between people.”
I was trying to get across the idea that personal connections and communications in real life are a very important but perhaps dwindling phenomenon, and it tends to get left by the wayside if internet communication takes over. Locked away in our houses, so many of us habitually “plug in” to the internet and close the doors to the outside world and our fellow man. Oft-times, internet communication can be a fairly inhuman, unemotional affair.
However, that is not always the case.
I hate the internet. But, I also love it. Why?
I hate it because it can be so impersonal; meanings get distorted, it’s a melée of irrational, irrelevant information (a bit like our everyday thought processes actually), and it’s addictive.
I love it because it’s a wealth of information available in seconds, it avails us details not covered in the mainstream, and it helps brings people together.
So, what has this got to do with the fellow that said “hello” to me?
I have friends that live many thousands of miles away from me. But when I get an e-mail from them I rejoice. An e-mail, or instant message can be just as powerful emotionally as a face-to-face encounter. They can uplift us, inspire us, or just simply make us feel connected.
Of course, I’m not alone in this as most of us who have internet connections are used to it now (believe it or not, there are those in the world who don’t!). But, I still get a tingle sometimes when I get an e-mail from a friend in California or New Zealand (I’m in Scotland.)
So, I’m not dissing internet communication or advocating ditching it in favour of going out for a walk and saying “hi” to everyone you meet.
Anything goes!
The key is striking a balance.
“See it all, till tomorrow”
