First of all devolve is not truly the opposite of evolve. A
more appropriate word would be degenerate as a verb denoting losing stature
from the previous ranking, or other form of measurement, and as a noun, where
the person has lost values like morality, quality of life, and skill sets.
One of the major reasons why western society is degenerating
(in my opinion) is the lack of teaching/learning of the 3 R’s (Reading, ‘riting,
‘rithmetic—Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic) and, one can argue, the 4th
R, which is Respect. It seems to me that along with the first three, western
society has lost a lot of respect for its own culture. It could also be argued
that this is a worldwide problem in that values have now degenerated below the
levels that our parents and grandparents once held in such high esteem.
Text messaging is a major contributor to the degeneration of
communication between individuals. Nothing gets more confusing as all those
short forms that people use to speed through the communication process, simply because
the tool is just not that well suited for the job. You can also argue that it
is a sign of lack of respect for the other person since the individual is too
lazy to take the time to communicate what is really being said.
I fear for today’s youth and what they will face in the
future trying to cope with everyday life. I believe they are not properly armed
with the tools to deal with all things in life. Yes I am older and hang on to
values and teachings that were passed on to me by not just teachers but members
of the community that actually cared and knew each other more than just to wave
at each other in the driveway. That was the respect they all had for each
other, even if at times they got upset with what they might be doing. Maybe
everyone needs that white picket fence between each yard and take the time to
share a cup of coffee or a brown pop and some basic respectful conversation
like I saw in my neighbourhood growing up.
So what’s the solution to this problem? It is quite easy to
just spout what is wrong with the world today because you see and hear it every
day in this “show me drama in the news” world. I think it involves a return to
the everyday practice of the 4 R’s all over the world. That also means we
should respect our heritage, our own country first, those that help protect our
daily lives and look inwards first before we go and try to “save” the other
countries and minority groups out there. The fact of the matter is they really
don’t want interference in their lives and we actually disrespect that wish by
sticking our nose into their business. Let them work out their own problems and
let’s focus on our own internal problems, before we make devolve a standard word
in our limited vocabulary.
Easy speak is a language that only results in degenerated communication.
Say what you mean by taking the time to convey the true feeling of the content
of your thoughts. W’ats Up! doesn’t cut it in my opinion.
…how did the 3 r’s
degenerate into a symbol for recycling (reduce, reuse, recycling). Yep it is an
important issue but by paying to attention to the original ones plus respect,
the recycling issue is a no-brainer!
…how’s that for a good example of devolution in today’s world?
…how’s that for a good example of devolution in today’s world?
