"Okay. Yes. We're bored. We're all bored now. But has it ever occurred to you, Wally, that the process which creates this boredom that we see in the world now may very well be a self-perpetuating unconscious form of brainwashing created by a world totalitarian government based on money? And that all of this is much more dangerous than one thinks? And that it’s not just a question of individual survival, Wally, but that somebody who’s bored is asleep? And somebody who's asleep will not say no?"
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Kevin H. Gary on Boredom
Resignation to boredom, or knee-jerk attempts to escape it, are similar in that both responses resist reflection on this problem. In a capitalist society, producers often want people to dread boredom and be unreflective about it, so consumption becomes simply a knee-jerk antidote to it. Given the pervasiveness of boredom, the multitude of negative behaviors that are causally linked to it, and the economic system that benefits from it, the problem of boredom merits careful attention, especially in education. When schools graduate students who are unable to endure boredom, and who cannot discern when to accept boredom or when and how to challenge it, then schools have failed to equip…
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Lewis on Apologetics
It is very difficult to produce arguments on the popular level for the existence of God. And many of the most popular arguments seem to me invalid. Some of these may be produced in discussion by friendly members of an audience. This raises the whole problem of the 'embarrassing supporter'. It is brutal (and dangerous) to repel him; it is often dishonest to agree with what he says. I usually try to avoid saying anything about the validity of his argument in itself and reply, "Yes, that may do for you and me. But I'm afraid if we take that line our friend here on my left might say etc.…
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Nick Cave on Mercy
Mercy is a value that should be at the heart of any functioning and tolerant society. Mercy ultimately acknowledges that we are all imperfect and in doing so allows us the oxygen to breathe — to feel protected within a society, through our mutual fallibility. Without mercy a society loses its soul, and devours itself.
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Interstate Rest Stops for Those in the Slow Lane
Even if you don’t have kids in tow, dropping out of the interstate fast lane for a few minutes certainly can’t hurt. Reduce the blurring effect of modern transportation. Ignite your curiosity. And experience what Ray Bradbury called the “pores of life” instead — its finer features, texture, and details.
