Chapter 1
It is understood that during the last centuries there appeared a great variety of prophecies and assumptions about our, unfortunately dismal future. Scientists and philosophers contemplated on the simplification of systems and our lifestyle, on the deterioration of values and abutments, and claimed that the society will lead its existence under the magnifying glass, being engulfed in the ambience of omniscient threat.
The outlooks are appallingly transferred into reality. Nevertheless, even if it is futile to accuse social layers in what they have done, nobody forbids people to resent and denounce one another. Consequently, the utopia is immersed in oblivion. However, we live in the epoch of technological advancements; we still prefer to waste our time, reluctantly consuming surrounding world and daily matters. By mischance, we provide ourselves with more efficient ways of going backwards. In retrospective, it is feasible to state that the prospects that triggered all social aspects were definitely more bright and diverse. One must not deny that laziness is the engine of progress. Nevertheless, it is a pity that this plan does not involve mental and physical development. We still consider ourselves being the kings of the DNA chain. We believe that we are experiencing the peak of the industrial progress and we are incredibly obsessed with this idea that after several decades people will recall our trivial existence and outdated norms of life through the photos and movies that will be labelled as ‘’classics’’.
Basing on my personal experience, I can say that today’s world is falling apart, values are rotten and pillars of chastity have crumbled. The most irritating fact is that everybody complains that the world is so unfair and how officials should run the country, and how exactly everything must be altered drastically, do not even endeavor to put any efforts to implement these ideas. Therefore, it is nothing else than a mere farce and dissemblance.
Contemporary society consists of indolent parents and pampered infants. Nowadays, people do not strive for embodiment of their aspirations or self-development. The most disenchanting factor is that the current situation of complete numbness contends everyone. The society corrodes from within. The crucial point is that we have an unlimited access to the worldwide net, boundless scopes and spacy horizons thanks to technologies that we are using simply to satisfy our needs, not attempting to keep with the rushing pace of time. So that, this idleness is an imminent fate, which as the majority believes, we just have to deal with.
The significant aspect in the process of bringing the kids up is the imposed image of the American dream and dichotomous thinking that comes to us via movies and games. Today kids prefer not to overwhelm themselves with intricate books. Instead, they live nonchalant lives without any miseries. There are several fields of everyday life, which I would like to discuss in my essay. As we all conceive, the Big Brother is watching us, and such authors as A. Huxley and G. Orwell portrayed the confrontation of an intelligent human being and the callous system. Subsequently, even taking into account the possible controversy, I am going to speak about the education system and politics.
The education system, as all areas that provide and comprise the prosperity of a country, has to be updated, otherwise its approaches will become obsolete that in the long run, leads to deplorable state of matters. The problem is that it is taking place right now. Regardless pleads and suggestions for the improvement, everything is simply defied and neglected. Undeniable fact is that nothing will change until people, who govern this particular field that subsequently contributes to country’s thrift in the near future, commence taking measures. However, the barrier that sprawls this process implies avidity and apathy of the officials, and denial of such trite fact is nothing else, but hypocrisy.
According to my personal experience, I can describe the educational process in France. It is possible to compile one-sided contrastive analysis, because I am going to depict educational process in the universities in France, what does not imply the description of what is taking place right now here in Latvia. Pupils in France respect teachers, literally, it is not a mere formality there, what I cannot say about our country. I saw these huge rooms, like amphitheater, where more than 100 students are absorbing the information that pervades the audience. People are working diligently and do not distract one another. Everybody asks questions and jots down almost everything that was uttered. Personally, I have a friend, who works as a teacher in two higher institutions. He, unfortunately confirms the fact that here, in Latvia, the situation is opposite. Therefore, a crossroad leads to two sides. On one hand, these are teachers who must be blamed, because as we know, there are no bad students, though one the other hand, these are the students, who comprise this education system, consequently fish rots from both sides. It depends solely on the perception of the surrounding reality. Somebody simply does not care and prefers gentle flux of constant life. Other, counterwise, is eager to readjust everything, but under the burden of imposed criticism from the society, stops and conforms to the grey mass.
The proceeding discussion concerns political system. To broaden the topics, I would say that it is essential to investigate both sides of a coin, i.e. what we know, see and hear and all the domestic affairs inside the political apparatus. It is a renowned fact that each generation had its leaders, who were so ardent while declaring wars, establishing laws and promising abundance that when it came to the point, remained staying aside, rejoicing the view of the tumult, desolation and havoc they have created. Besides, these are plutocrats, who run the country, not the politicians, thus everything that we are allowed to behold is a mere masquerade on the ruins of a former greatness. Recently, I have run onto one term - entropy, which is a measure of chaos, disorder and randomness. I cannot fully claim that we can apply such equation to what is taking place all around the world in politics, it will not be true, but I consider it an integral constituent element of our world order, as we all know that utopia cannot exist and this particular sphere, unfortunately is not an exception.
It has been scientifically proved by researchers that the average age of an individual is approximately 80 years. Let us assume that we live long enough to be in our 90th. The interesting aspect is that we spend a little bit less than half of our lifetime sleeping, looking for remote control and crossing swords with the people we know. Therefore, it turns out that despite this fact, we still choose indolence over efficiency and versatility. The round table is split into pieces and lays in the dusty and moldy corner. The hilt of the sword has rotten and the stone is adorned with cracks, cobwebs and moss. Dignity is just a withered echo of a bygone greatness. All grief, miseries and trials we have, as a humanity, undergone, is a mere flicker.
In my warmest feelings, I hope that I will not violate the formality and will preserve the overall impression of a reader friendly piece of writing, but I am eager to quote Haruki Murakami in the end of my essay: “Unfortunately, the clock is ticking, the hours are going by. The past increases, the future recedes. Possibilities decreasing, regrets mounting.”
