I wrote this in class a moment ago and thought I'd share it, I am well aware of it's shortcomings and I'm sure someone will have something bad to say about it, I am also aware of the hypocrisy of the whole idea of teaching someone to think for themselves, but it's the implied idea that I'm going for. Feedback is appreciated, however, I may not respond as I'm very busy. (Also, I know some of the claims in the essay are unreasonable at best, but the hope for such things is there.)
-= The essay =-
The Intervention of Free Thinking.
There has been a fundamental lack of free thinking in our society
today. We have stopped moving in any way that aids us and have begun
to slowly sink backward. The advancement of the human individual as a
group must be ensured through direct and indirect action from free
thinking individuals that have the capacity to change others. They
must teach everyone to begin thinking for themselves. To open the eyes
of society is the goal and to care is the means. Every free thinking
individual must, for the future of free man kind, teach others to ask
why and to make up their own minds. As Einstein said "The important
thing is not to stop questioning."
As we descend into a state of apathy and willful ignorance. we must
learn to think and act on our own accord and not become tools of
another. To free ourselves is as simple as asking why and not
accepting an answer less than the truth. Nearly every common threat
faced by man kinds freedom can be stomped out in a day if every man
woman and child on the planet stopped to ask why and didn't rest until
they were given a proper answer. Fruitless wars and daily oppression
would end where it existed unopposed. Wars of oppression would lose
support and soldiers as the ignorant came to realize the fault in
their choice and others refused to join a cause of ignorance and
oppression. There will still be those who attempt to rule others with
violence or lies, but they will survive only as cacti do in the
desert. They will be weak and few where they were once strong and
many. And they will be eliminated by those that would use strength to
protect freedom.
The manipulation of the public through propaganda would be a fruitless
venture as it would be questioned and it's flaws found. When we are
told a war is for a reason and then told by another we have been lied
to and it is in fact for another we will be able to stand aside and
think of our own free will to find the truth. We will be able to
ignore hatred and lies and learn what a supposed enemy is really like
then decide if it is worth our lives to fight them. We will not follow
a law that opresses instead of protects simply out of fear of another
law. We will make our world what we want it, it will be ours. False
advertisement and consumer entrapment could not take hold of one who
finds their own truth. We will not accept what we are told about a
product but will instead test it ourselves. we will not sign the paper
but instead read the fine print and demand to know the terms. We will
be in control and choose what we will have. To question is to search,
to search is to find, to find is to know, and to know is to have
power. The people must empower themselves. No longer will false
promises from polititions be accepted at face value. Our lives and our
homes are ours and we will remind those that serve the public they in
fact serve us, not us them. We will not stand by idle as those in
positions of responsibility are given a long leash to do what they
want, to spend the money we fund them with against us or to invade our
lives. We will demand the privacy we deserve and use the power we have
to protect it. No longer would we turn a blind eye to a lie or a
wrongdoing, no matter how small. The people would once again be in
control and the sheep would guard themselves. We will not be tools for
the building of our own cage.
We must think and question and teach others to do the same. This must
be done for the individual as a whole. All people must look at
everything they are told with a slight grain of skepticism. Talk to
another often on a subject you are fond of. Talk in detail and ask as
many questions to yourself as you do to others. Learn to see all sides
of an issue and play devils advocate on a subject. Connect with others
over the internet through chatrooms and forums and engage them in
conversation. Always seek to teach another to think for themselves.
Ask them questions that make them question as well. Debate often, but
in the most social and respectful of ways. Always seek to teach those
who are drowning in the still waters of ignorance to swim and find
their own shore. Act on what you believe is right. If you feel you are
being wronged act to correct it, never in anger, but in protection of
yourself and improvement of the world. A wrong corrected cannot wrong
another. Teach others to teach themselves so they may become better
than they were. You may only have a moment to teach someone, but they
have the rest of their life to teach themselves. We must also remember
it is important to question everything, but to continue our lives
unless we have found a false truth.
It is most important to remember, one cannot progress through life if
they question everything and act on every question without doing
necesary work and adhering to their obligations as well. We cannot act
on every suspicion in the extreme or we will harm the truth and
destroy the world in our folly. We must do as we know is right without
failing to question what is wrong. A soldier must be sure he is not
being told to murder, yet he still must kill the enemy. We must learn
to tell the difference between doing our jobs and being ignorant to
the facts before us. Only then can we continue to function and allow
our world to work without becoming robots at the hands of malicious
programmers.This is what we must do. Teach ourselves, teach others,
continue to perform in our lives, and question everything.
Topic: Essay on free thinking (not what you'd expect) (Read 1098 times)