How Can We Live Authentic Lives in a World out of a Grid of Busyness - Essay Example

How can we live “authentic” lives in a world out of a “grid of busyness”? Nowadays, there is visible that it is really hard to live “authentic” life for contemporary people. In circumstances of modern high-tech and high-speed life full of business deals and mobile devices, living closer to the reality and nature seems almost impossible today. In this context, people living in huge metropolises are endangered to live solely busy life more than others. In fact, the time when “authentic” lifestyle was replaced by the “grid of busyness” occurred some centuries ago with the development of bureaucracy and capitalism. And so, the ability of modern people living in contemporary world to save their “authentic” life is challenged today. Hence, the possible ways to get the real life back include complete transformation of the current worldview and value system of the person. In particular, the downshifting as moving closer to natural environment, changing the social surroundings, and paying enough attention to the closest people are the necessary elements of getting back to “authentic” life. To start with, in contemporary epoch due to the globalization and technological development processes in order to save “authenticity” one should physically move closer to nature. In particular, the plenty of changes in our perception of human place in the society is demonstrated in the fact that people update their devices every month, technological innovations happen every day, and we change our minds every minute on the consequences of these changes. Therefore, the very environment we live in causes such a transformation of our opinions from “authenticity” as enjoying the present moment to “busyness” as trying to catch up the future. In this context, complaining about being too busy first appeared at the end of the nineteenth century (Gopnik 157). Therefore, the problem of “busyness” as the disease of current epoch is clearly seen throughout the years. In this context, the “authentic” lifestyle can be saved if only the systematic change is applied. And so, the very opportunity to live a real life can become possible if only the city life with its eternal busyness is left behind. Moreover, the thoughtful usage of technologies can help in creating “authentic” lifestyle. As Adam Gopnik states it, with the invention of trains, telegrams, subways, commuter trains and e-mail messaging people managed to become closer than before (157). Therefore, the special types of technology help people in creating relations by facilitating communication between them. However, not all of them are working in this direction. In fact, this new trend of deeply connected world was accompanied in the previous century with the opposite movement to city suburbs enabled with the creation of cars and television (Gopnik 158). And so, the balance of these two opposite technological forces can create some kind of harmony between the closeness to strangers and personal “authenticity” in contemporary globalized world. In other words, people can use all the types of communication and movement our time has created for them but they should remember of keeping a safe distance from its powerful influence. Nevertheless, metropolis life is a unique case of prevailing communication and public transportation and very limited influence of private cars and television in the everyday life (Gopnik 158) as people do not find time to use these kind of technologies for themselves. In this case, in order to create “authentic” lifestyle people have no other way but to change the circumstances they are surrounded with in order to find personal freedom of choice. For instance, the process of downshifting as the modern phenomenon of turning back to natural life appeared. Correspondingly, in Adam Gopnik’s text there is proposed to move from New York to some quiet place in America in order to go out of “grid of busyness” (159). Thus, changing the whole environment of technologically developed and dynamic metropolis is an appropriate measure to start enjoying real “authentic” life. Furthermore, the social environment of the modern cities is an obstacle for contemporary people to access “authentic” life; therefore, the society is as important to be changed as physical conditions. In fact, people are social creations that easily fall under the influence of the others. Hence, society is vitally important in order to make the very notion of “authentic” lifestyle possible. In this context, modern children are the ones who need protection right now from this situation. For instance, the author’s daughter Olivia suffers nowadays in her childish years as her imaginary friend Charlie Ravioli is always too busy to play with her (Gopnik 155). This means that in order to live “authentic” life children need to see different people around them that have more natural activities. In this context, theoretically phenomenon of creating imaginary friends is a normal reaction of a child in order to perceive the world around it and to explain this environment with the help of fictional story (Gopnik 155). Hence, the very appearance of an illusory fellow that has no time to play with contemporary children is illustrative for our epoch. In this case, the way of how the reality of high-speed city is reflected in child’s mind shows that contemporary people are always preoccupied with their business and have no time to do some real things with the real people around them. In this context, people got used to the fact that working hard creates productivity and it is what we really need in our life (Gopnik 156). So, busyness as an inevitable element of the adult life appears. And so, it is clearly visible that the problem Olivia faces today in relations with Charlie Ravioli is created by the long-term development of the contemporary globalized world full of offices and devices. Here, even children are incapable to live the life in “authentic” way even though they should do so. Therefore, living in a social environment of busy people and business deals with partners is neglecting the possibility of real life even for children. Finally, the real dialogue between people should come back to peoples lives in order to make them live more “authentically”. In fact, contemporary cities are presented today with the streets that are full with taxis, and people are always in a rush staring at their mobile phones and tablets and paying no attention to what is going on around them. In fact, such a behavior means inability to create “authentic” lifestyle. As Gopnik supposes, “we build rhetorical baffles around our lives to keep the crowding out, only to find that we have let nobody we love in” (158). This means that barriers we set on the borders of our personal space make as busy and unavailable for the others. And so, natural conversations with family and friends can save the real living for current busy people. In this context, the problem of “suspended communication” (Gopnik 157) appears as having place in plenty of devices and social networks where no long-tern friendship and love are possible. Therefore, living place for the real relations is the way to enjoy “authentic” lifestyle. On the contrary, being busy and moving fast is the only way to survive and the only behavior which is supposed to be normal nowadays. In these circumstances of eternal busyness, working becomes more important than meeting with people. Therefore, such an attitude to strangers as an obstacle for movement is reflected even on family and friends. This is the reason why special assistants appeared in order to talk to people instead of their busy bosses (Gopnik 159). Hence, finding time for beloved people is a significant step to go away from “grid of busyness” to more “authentic” life. In order to sum up, the lifestyle dictated by the modern life leaves no place for “authenticity” in our lives. In particular, the technological imbalance and the speed of social changes forces contemporary people to become busy and live in high-tech surroundings with no place for nature, true friends and deep love. In addition, such an environment is painful for children who live in a society where no place for plays and natural conversations is left. Therefore, the way to enjoy “authentic” lifestyle again is moving closer to nature where there is no overcrowding and technological “busyness”. But, this change will be incomplete without paying enough attention to family and friends. Work Cited: Gopnik, Adam. “Bumping into Mr. Ravioli.” Points of Departure: A Collection of Contemporary Essays. Ed. Michelle J. Braizer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Print. Read More