If you pause a moment and really listen, you’ll hear people talk trivia all day long. “Anyone see what happened on Neighbours last night?” “Hey guess who {insert movie star here} is going out with now?” And if you follow popular media, you’ll notice so much of it is focussed on “news” such as the latest footballer embroiled in a scandal and other such nonsense.
This sort of rubbish passes for news all day every day. And we sit by idly and let it happen. No wonder the media moguls think we’re a bunch of idiots. They feed us ‘reality’ TV rubbish all day, and we lap it up like it’s the best thing that’s happened since the invention of the light bulb.
STOP THE JUNK TALK
As a self-confessed shit-talker at times, I am guilty of mindless conversation too but not about other people’s lives. Usually just my own. Also if you think about the slogan ‘you are what you eat’ and adjust it accordingly, then ‘you are what you think’ may as well apply. And as I get older, I’m getting better at sorting out the information and data that is healthy for my brain and my consciousness and the stuff that is, well, junk.
I mean, people spend so much of their lives watching what they eat and exercising so that that they can look after their bodies. Why should the same not apply to the brain? We all know what happens to people who consume too much fried foods, junk foods and have poor diets. Their health and their bodies suffer. What about if your brain consumed ‘junk information’ and you stopped exercising your ‘intellectual’ muscles. Surely you’d end up with a pretty unhealthy brain. Or what I often refer to as shit for brains.
WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING YOUR BRAIN?
So what I’m saying is, if you are going to look after your health by attending to your body through food. Include the regime by looking after your brain through a healthy portion of the right information and data. After all, if you wouldn’t pollute your body by eating deep fried chicken wings (or deep fried mars bars – yes, there is such a thing) than why put your brain through the equivalent by watching “reality” TV and reading trash spouted by the commercial media.
So put down that remote control and start exercising your brain muscles. Play chess. Read a book. Do a crossword (or Sodoku if you dare). Volunteer in a cause you believe in. Engage in intellectually stimulating conversation about politics, economics, social justice or whatever improves your smarts. Create something. Challenge yourself to be informed about the REAL issues that affect our society. Not only because it’s good for you, but because you’ll at least be helping to make this world a less ignorant, less superficial and less shallow place.
Am I too ‘full on’ about this? Do you agree or disagree? Would love to know your thoughts so make sure to leave a comment.
