When we constantly hear that we should be smart, better connected, more productive, wealthier – you name it – it takes real courage to claim the time and space to follow the currents of our talents, our aspirations and our hearts, which may lead in a very different direction.
Have you ever wakened in the morning feeling contented and quiet and then within fifteen minutes of checking your phone felt out of sorts? Longing for something more?
We spend a lot of time immersed in images on a screen. Ads tell us that our bodies need making over, our clothes just won’t do, our living room is a mess – all as a way of selling us more and more. Along the way, what might be a source of pleasure becomes infused with anxiety.
Social activist Jerry Mander hypothesises that the media is deliberately designed to induce self-hatred, negative body image and dejection – and advertised products offer. the cure.
Once you are aware of this, we can see which messages we’ve adopted as our own beliefs and instead hold them more loosely, in time we can even replace them with an inquiring mind, an open heart and an enhanced sense of vitality. We may not be able to make the messages disappear, but we can question them. The more we do, the less intrusive and limiting the messages become.
Sharon Salzberg
Quote extracted from: Real Love – The Art of Mindful Connection by Sharon Salzberg
Written in short chapters that culminate in in-depth guided meditations, this is a book that spans vast tracts of interdisciplinary knowledge from the areas of Buddhism, Christianity, Psychology, Sociology and brings together these fields in a compelling, thought-provoking and deeply nourishing way. This is a book for the soul and spirit yes – but tempered with scientific knowledge and grounded practical advice for how to improve one’s ability to give and receive love in its variety of different forms.
Content Catnip 
I firmly believe that the inception of the Internet marked a monumental milestone in the advancement of our society, nurturing the sprouting of countless opportunities and avenues for connection and growth. However, it deeply saddens me to observe the subsequent emergence of social media platforms, which seem to have marred the pristine beauty and potential of this digital space. These platforms, unfortunately, have the tendency to foster negativity, and breed toxicity, thereby eroding the essence of genuine relationships and the fabric of our community as a whole.
What are your thoughts on the matter?
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Thank you Thomas for your indepth and insightful reply here. I agree with you here about how the intention and goal of the online world was pure and genuine originally. It gradually became corrupted over time by money, capitalist growth and greed which has managed to compromise the potential of many spaces to be safe spaces for people to gather without fear of being harassed or being subjected to loads of toxic conspiracy theories, fake news and hateful content. There was a reason that Twitter had a robust online safety team before Musk. They countered a lot of online BS. They were the first team to be fired once Musk took over – which is a disgrace to human rights and to the dignity and freedoms of people on the platform. Some places still exist online that are safe and are open-source and full of kind people they are just smaller niche communities, small communities of likeminded people are amazing and supportive they are around.
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