The world seems on edge lately. I'm not sure what's causing it. Tempers seem short, attitudes long, interactions beset with sharp teeth and barbs.
The older I get, the more I am of a "live and let live" mindset. I've been that way for years, I guess, so in a way it's a deepening of the trend. Some things get me worked up, sure... I'm a weak human animal. But ultimately, and deep down, I know a lot of it is bullshit and doesn't matter. Very little of it will concern me in fifty years, and in a hundred, it almost certainly won't. (That is, unless Kurzweil is right.)
Perhaps the fine line between apathy and making your peace is deciding what's important and what's not. I believe the odds favor most things being less important. I also believe, as a general rule, relevance is inversely proportional to time. Finally, I have an untested theory that increased noise levels are directly related to decreased relevance. I may be wrong here, but time will tell.
There's a lot to be said for simple acts. Writing a letter. Saying the right thing, or choosing not to speak. Refusing to give up your bus seat. Listening. Being there. Finding, and giving, the perfect gift. I think these acts ultimately become the important and memorable ones. I think they are few and far between, not the daily — or hourly! — missives the world seems to generate.
I've been thinking of unplugging lately, disconnecting from the constant (and increasing) noise of social media, email, and on and on and endlessly on. Many years ago, when it was just television (antisocial media?), I'd go on month-long (or longer) sabbaticals from the idiot box... and I always felt better afterward. I don't even know if all the electronic noise is the cause of my current maladjustment, but it's currently my prime suspect, and since the "no TV" thing always did the trick before, it seems somewhat reasonable to extend the analogy forward.
I don't know if I'll even commit to this plan. I do believe, however, something's got to give. "Live and let live" is a little hard to manage with swords and knives flying through the air.