When Are You Going To Be Happy Enough?

In September of 2009, E. O. Wilson (Harvard biologist) said “The real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and god-like technology. And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now approaching a point of crisis overall.” Until we understand ourselves, concluded the Pulitzer-prize winning author of On Human Nature, “until we answer those huge questions of philosophy that the philosophers abandoned a couple of generations ago—Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going? Rationally.”

I start with this quotation because it was made almost 16 years ago, and we have more and more technology being ‘dumped’ on us almost daily. Due to this I believe we are on very thin ground.

Our genetics, psychology and biology have not caught up with our technology. The gap between them grows broader every day. The world’s advances no longer fit who we are; thus, we are crippled and broken or inoperative. Yes, we love all these new ‘advancements’ because we live in a consumeristic society, and feel that if it is new, it must be good.

Oh, I know that these statements are harsh, but bear with me and you will see the facts from where my thoughts and words come from.

In our sociotechnical, hyper-competitive or inter-dependent world, we have more ease, amusement, and high-tech wonders than at any other time in human history. Yet statistics show that we are increasingly anxious, alienated, and unhappy. We are caught in what Mike Brooks a psychologist calls ‘a progress paradox’. That meaning the progress we advanced has developed in us an unfamiliar or foreign world we weren’t made to occupy. To put it in very simple terms, our modern lifestyle is not helpful to health or happiness. Dr. Brooks has come up with this basic and simple equation: Greater Progress = Greater Mismatch = Greater Suffering.

So, what am I speaking about? Consider the following;

• According to Rawan Tarawneh, MD of The Ohio State University; “Recent research suggests that excess use of the internet over prolonged periods of time may negatively affect some cognitive functions, particularly attention and short-term memory.”
• According to the Amen Clinic; “Leading cognitive neuroscientists have identified new brain disorders linked to society’s over-dependence on technology. These disorders range from separation anxiety over misplacing a device to hearing a phantom ring when no one is calling. Many of the disorders are accompanied by psychiatric issues, including ADD, anxiety, OCD and various types of psychoses.
• Also at the Amen Clinic, they found that the compulsive need to stay connected to the internet at all times has become a type of addiction to many people.”
• According to The National Library of Medicine, “The escalating prevalence of studies investigating digital addiction (DA) and its detrimental impact on the human brain’s structure and functionality has been noticeable in recent years.”

So, what are some of the solutions;

• Put love and connection with others first.
• Be intentional with technology, in other words create boundaries that give precedence to our humanity.
• Remember that we are all human beings with an inborn dignity and worth.

Finally, if there is one key that I believe that we all need to remember is; true happiness is found in healthy relationships. Happiness is not found in wealth, fame, power, or screen-facilitated capabilities.

Does this make sense to you?