Zeitgeist

Daily Meditation #345–2/4/2023

Time is much like a river. It only moves one direction, ebbing and flowing. We may think the scenery is different, but it is still trees, rocks, water…just slightly different ones.

In the 20s, there were flappers, Art-Deco, and jubilation after WWI. Many thought the youth were out of control.

In the 50s, rock and roll was being born, WWII had ended, and many places of the world were opening. The world was changing, changing…

In the 60s and 70s, Vietnam was a bloodbath, youth were again in a state of revolt and “progress,” and the world was (again) “falling apart.”

Even now, the world is in flux. “Climate change,” a pandemic, an era of near instant communication where different languages are hardly a barrier, and globalization (perhaps collapsing?)…

Yet, the overarching theme has staying the same:

“The world needs to progress.”
“Youth are out of touch and out of control.”
“Things are worse than ever.”

You can hold inside whatever belief you like! Worse…better…
But, be willing to ask yourself — are things worse? In this way? Or that way? Or maybe some things are better?

Or, perhaps, are things really that different? Perhaps the faces, names and places are different, yet the cycle is continuing and we forget history?

Believe what you like about how you perceive the world and the state of the world — believe what you want! — but at least be willing think about them and ask yourself about them, remembering we are but a blink in time, and even if things are worse, well…when we have passed, it will matter little.

Thus is the flowing river of time and the zeitgeist.