The culture of death is simultaneously a culture dominated by the notion of “entertainment.” . . . The very notion of entertainment presumes the state of boredom as the norm, which means that a culture increasingly fueled by this notion assumes that our lives are innately and intrinsically meaningless without the constant stream of “stimulation” and distraction, a stream inevitably subject to the law of diminishing returns.
I don’t think I realize how much stimulation I crave during a day. Even when I think I am quieting down, requiring less, I am still a news junkie, still like to have classical or New Age music playing in the background, still getting up and moving around, reading a little, going outside, coming back in, running an errand, checking email… a never-ending cycle. What was actually accomplished? Not much. I sure felt busy, though.
Everything is so fast-paced in our society. Everything is so loud and noisy. Everything is trying to grab our attention. The other night, during a storm, we lost electricity. It was completely silent. No hum of the A/C, no refrigerator going. I confess I was agitated and restless.
I have much work to do on myself.