Ordeals of Human Consciousness

 

Ordeals of Human Consciousness in the Modern World

I was talking to my 88 year old uncle. How do you keep yourself busy?” I asked. “Well, nothing.” He replied tiredly. “Well you should converse with AI if no one else” I said with a laugh. Suddenly the topic took a turn and he wanted to know more about ChatGPT, Gemini and such which everyone seemed to be talking about. Can it answer any question he wanted to know. Typical of me, I said Yes. So tell me what are the “Ordeals of human consciousness”. I was stumped since I did not even understand what that meant. So I - ChatGPT-ed. And that is when I learnt about a very interesting topic which most of us would relate to. It is actually a very nice way to describe what many people are quietly experiencing today, even if they don’t know how to define it.

In its simplest terms it means the inner struggles our mind goes through while trying to make sense of a fast-changing world.

So let’s see what all are the challenges or struggles which our consciousness faces.

1. The Speed vs Stability Problem

Earlier, life changed slowly. Everything we believed in, our routines and even careers were stable. It was like nature. Moving at its own pace. Suddenly, now, technology has started changing rapidly - literally every few months. Social norms have shifted quickly and information is like a perennial river. It never seems to stops.

The ordeal here is simple. The human mind evolved for a slower world, but is now forced to operate in a hyper-fast one. The result of this is anxiety of not being able to keep up and decision fatigue since the mind is forced to take calls constantly. There is a permanent feeling of being left behind or we are trying to constantly catch up with things.

2. Too Much Information, Too Little Meaning

Think about yourself. From the moment we wake up, we are peppered by a glut information - the mobile, TV, social media, the billboards. We now know everything but understand very little about it. We are skimming the surface and never little in-depth. Earlier our sources of information were far and few between but they were trustworthy. Now we have infinite sources but we are constantly in doubt about whether what we are reading is true or false.

Do you read daily forwards on how conflicting health advice - “Anything white is poison - sugar, salt, rice…” Political noise has reached a crescendo and you wonder whom to believe. And WhatsApp forwards have become the highest seat of education and it makes us question the reality of our own lives most of the time.

The ordeal of our consciousness is that our mind struggles to decide what is true. And his creates confusion, distrust and mental exhaustion

3. Identity Pressure (Who am I supposed to be?)

Earlier, our concept of identity was simpler. We had a family role, a profession and we belonged to a community. And now our identity has become defined by our success, happiness, our uniqueness, how socially aware and how financially strong and independent we are - all at once.

It is not just about who you are. It is more about who you are supposed to be? Who you want to be known as? 

The ordeal is that we are trying to become too many things at the same time which consequently leads to comparison especially via social media (Oh! They must be rich they are travelling so much), self-doubt and a feeling that one has never “enough” enough.

4. Isolation in a Connected World

Do this small exercise. When you are in a public place - a railway station, an airport lounge, even a family party. Just observe things around you. Most of the people around you would be bent over a mobile or a laptop or talking to themselves. We are more connected than ever but often feel more alone. Ever wondered why? Today our conversations are shorter, more digital than physical. Even relationships feel replaceable and our attention is fragmented, pulled to all sides.

The mind craves deep connection but receives shallow interaction.

5. Moral and Emotional Confusion

This one is something very subtle but important. Earlier we seemed to have clear “right vs wrong” which was defined by culture and society. Now everything is debated. Literally everything. Every opinion has a counter-opinion. Earlier it was my way or your way, then it was my way or highway and now it is anything but your way.

The ordeal is people feel unsure about what to believe or stand for which creates hesitation, overthinking and a permanent fear of being judged.

A floating thought

It is not theory. And this is not just a problem of young people. Even older generations feel it. Technology gap, changing values and a loss of familiar structures. The mind is trying to cope with a world that is changing faster than it can comfortably handle. The difference is that we may not always be able to comprehend the struggle, but we feel it. And now I have found a name for it too - the Ordeals of Human Consciousness.

Awareness doesn't solve these ordeals, but it does something equally important. It tells you that what you are feeling is real, it is shared, and you are not falling apart. You are simply human, navigating an inhuman pace of change.