Concretization

Concretization As with almost every aspect of develop or first world culture, a cloud of laziness accompanies any(prenominal) call to a challenge. Although finding an easier mover of overcoming obstacles has been rooted in valet existence since we came to roam the earth, it appears we have achieved a new level of indolence. judgment abstract philosophical or religions b bes no exception. To witness this one emergency look no further than todays pop culture. A quick Google calculate of celebrity tattoos yields upwards of 54 million results in a half-size over 2 tenths of a second.Riddled among the image results be countless crosses, Taijitus, speech in Sanskrit and other philosophical or unearthly symbols. Riddled among these are famous rapper lil substancene, actress Angelina Jolie and pop celebrity Pamela Anderson. I do not necessarily condone assumptions, however, I believe it would be safe to vocalize that these, among countless other, harbor symbols as an easy or car eless means of professing a devotion to a specific ideology. Furthermore, an ideology that have a go at it little or nothing rough.I may well be premature and perhaps they are well educated in the ways of their several(prenominal) religions/philosophies but would not wager on it if I were a betting man. Considering that Pamela is a vegan because her body is a temple yet has had a not to distant history with pill and cocaine abuse might inclination of an orbit the odds in my favor. Nevertheless, it is not just celebrities who are concretizing abstract and demanding philosophies, they are just most readily accessible.In todays first world countries, praising a concretized symbol of a philosophy or religion is an easy way of identifying ones self with the select group with kayoed difficulty of actually having to learn about it. Just as students are reading the spark notes instead of the handwriting or parents are hiring au pairs instead of raising their children (working/single parents excluded), so are most individuals taking a lackadaisical approach to their unearthly beliefs. This is easily done through making a symbol concrete.Consider the fantasy of yin-yang, a theory of balance representing male and female in union to depict wholeness. This is often portrayed by the Taijitu symbol that most western cultures are familiar with. What is often difficult to empathise about Yin-Yang is that it is ultimately a t individuallying of metaphysical dualism. This is to say that one is only as much itself as it is the absence of its counterpart light is just the absence of darkness. The concept computems simple when applying it to light and dark but when it comes to questions of existence or consciousness it becomes difficult to understand.Consequently, people, either due to laziness or ignorance, cast up themselves to the concrete symbol and the simplest explanation to accompany it. Thus we see that the Taijitu, in western culture, has itself adopted the name the Yin-Yang or more absurdly the Ying- yang. I have a friend who to this day thinks he has a tattoo Yin-Yang tattoo. Its a pretty abstract and unlimited concept to hold out in the confines of ones skin Im not reliable if he even is aware of the word Taijitu I dont think I should ask. The development of concretization, however, cannot lay burden solely on the symbol.Symbols have been used to represent religions, philosophies and factions of all sorts for thousands of years. Instead, I believe ignorance, and moreover the lack of motivation to rid oneself of ignorance, is to blame. This has become increasingly evident in the modernized world we live in today. In a magazine when information, entertainment and even food is mere seconds away at the fingertips of the bulk of the nation, the concept of delayed gratification slowly slips through the proliferated cracks of our artificial society. I, too, am guilty of the act.When I went to military school in the 9th grade each cadet was responsible for two pairs of skids, the dailies and the dress. The dailies were to have no scuff or tearing around the sole but would ultimately suffice with a rather dull finish. The dress shoes, on the other hand, were required to be polish upd to a mirror finish a feet that requires the perpetual spit shine of rag and polish until the pores of the leather are filled. A rule of flicker is that one should be able to see the whites in their eyes when they excerption up to inspect the shoe.After three hours work on one shoe alone, a blurred outline of my face was all I could mould out. An older student heard me complaining to my roommate and came by to see what was the fuss. Ive been working on these all day, I muttered, this is impossible. He smiled and turned as if to undermine my complaint. Delayed gratification, he replied as he walked off, delayed gratification. This was the first time I had heard the phrase. I looked it up and have kept it in the back of my mind ever since. In this increasingly fast paced world we live in, instant gratification is phasing out the concept of hard work and reward.This holds true in our approach to religious/philosophical beliefs. We all want to just get it just understand just be enlightened. There are those that meditate for an hour, a day, a week and then are frustrated and perplexed as to wherefore they are not yet enlightened Or, they go get Yin-Yang tattoo and claim they are. Unfortunately much of todays world focuses on the simple, the easy and the instant and thus breed much of the laziness and ignorance that results in concretization of the abstract and complex.