“There are two ways to live your life: one is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

Einstein identifies a dichotomy both in the individual and also in the society. This could be interpreted as the spiritual and the rational side to people or the belief of destiny. However, this idea also goes further and applies in the field of education and interpersonal relations that is in the mindsets we adopt. A final consideration here is the acknowledgement that agnosticism and uncertainty apply to many individuals and that their view is also valid.

Einstein was ain intrinsically y curious personality which despised authority and lauded the ability to change the paradigm in our way of thinking. Interestingly, there was also an ethical side to Einstein and a belief in some omnipotent being that inscribed all possible laws into the individual. Having come across many people he had certainly experienced the rational and spiritual dispositions. Rational people may be scientifically-minded who believe that everything can be reduced to a set of principles. Hence, it is no surprise to the rational person that society continues to advance in technology and knowledge. In contrast, there are those who cannot accept that there is a finite depth to anything and to an extent this is true of people and how the relate and form societies. Charles de Gaulle is once quoted saying “…how can anyone conceive of a one-party system in a country that has two hundred varieties of cheese?” To these people, life is a continual journey in which few things are certain. Neither mindset is superior, but both are present in humanity.

A broader appreciation of Einstein’s assertion is that some people are naturally more curious than others. The Myers-Briggs classification system separates some people on their level of intuition or judgement in situations. This is an acceptance of the different approaches people adopt to life. In the realm of education, Australian society has gradually considered the variety of preferences among students. Vocational-type training is receiving much support in encouraging people to find their way in a society that still emphasises the need for higher education. Higher education is a necessary cog in society, however, the higher the degree of specialisation, the more difficult it can become to communicate this benefit to society. With a realisation of different learning types comes a more equitable society that embraces the individual. In addition, relationships can succeed or fail on the grounds of our outlook on life. A rational minded person will frustrate the wondering and impulsive ‘spiritual’ sided person. An appreciation of variety is a sign both of maturity and self-confidence.

A final point here is the widespread ‘societal-agnosticism’ or uncertainty in society. “Agnostics’ can be thought of not merely as people eschewing religious belief, but also as those who are unsure whether rational or spiritual ways of thinking work. The rise of Eastern mysticism in Australia seems to highlight a spiritual vacuum in the world in which material possessions do not satisfy. However, the view of agnostics is valid in that the journey of life and discernment takes time. Self-discovery is often the key to living life well.

To conclude, the dichotomy of persons is clear both on an individual and collective level. The uncertainty of people does not make their life’s journey meaningless. The acknowledgement of this is a helpful tool in acknowledging the diversity of people and nations.

PS

I think this essay question wanted the responder to focus on how people live their lives. Instead, I just looked at different personality types. So this isn't very well done in my mind! - Mick Smith

“Mediocrity doesn’t mean average intelligence, it means an average intelligence that resents and envies its betters”- Ayn Rand

Rand here attributes plain mundaneness to have a more malicious core. He asserts that jealousy and a lack of motivation is the source of idleness. This is true to an extent of the individual and the society. He also states that average intelligence couple with malice is a path to apathy. On the other hand, society must acknowledge those in society who are disadvantaged by circumstance in which ‘mediocrity’ as it is perceived has not been engendered by brooding feelings. In a broader sense, society as a whole experiences mediocrity which can consist of either passive laissez-faire attitudes or a spiteful resentment of authority and systems [sic].

Apathy is viewed as a plague to the individual drive to succeed. It is especially eschewed by parents and teachers who are custodians of the young and are loathe to see a life wasted. Indeed, even the late Pope John Paul II warned young people against mediocrity, but more importantly, not to be fearful. Thus, it is clear that such lifestyles are generally shunned. But for the mediocre individual, resentment and spite may well foster habits which lead to underdeveloped potential. The result is a person of average intelligence in every sense of the word. It is most likely an inwardly-directed self loathing that laments the fact that their own efforts to become better people have failed. What is probably lacking in these lives is an acknowledgement of their importance, primarily through parent, but also through peers and society in general. Hence, it is to a large extent a fault of a person’s environment that engenders a mediocre state that may eventually see the individual failing to love. Again, it is a failure to love and nurture that leads to raw potential.

Society has a duty to support those who are weaker or disadvantaged. In Australia, the primary motivation in doing this comes from a realisation that the group is only as strong as its weakest members. Hence, by empowering the disadvantaged, society as a whole will prosper both economically and within its borders. To label an individual as mediocre may well ignore the basic lack of support or resources available to that person. It is dismissive to state it comes solely from jealousy of one’s betters. This is especially unjust if society has created those circumstances which lead to emotional or material poverty such as with the accession of workplace legislation. Maslow’s hierarchy predicts that if an individual’s needs are not met, then the individual will not move on to higher things. Hence, mediocrity may ensure. It is clear then that all too often mediocrity is misdiagnosed and that the need for societal support is alive today.

Lastly, the way in which society approaches issues can lead to an apathetic society that others look on. Indeed, Australia’s human right’s standing has been repeatedly in question in the last decade. The attitudes we adopt to problems and to others can well indicate the state of ethics. Einstein once stated that “weakness of character is [sic, he actually said becomes] weakness of character”. That is to say, the laissez-faire attitude of society leads to mediocrity which, while not malicious, but not helpful either. On the other hand, an active protestation of responsibilities such as criminal behaviour is a more dangerous form of apathy that degrades society.

It is clear, therefore, that spite and envy are not at the source of mediocrity but it is a failure to love. Society has a duty to those in troubled circumstances. The wider society must also be aware of its own attitude to others.

PS

I think this was a terrible attempt!!! - Mick Smith

Come my friends, ‘tis not too late to seek a newer world- Tennyson

Tennyson encourages us all as a society and as individuals to collectively seek a new world. He values ambition and drive which does not accept the state of the world, but actively seeks to change it. Time is an important aspect here in revealing the facts about embracing change. Another factor is the innate human desire for progress which can be modelled by the scientific process. In a broader sense, however, the society at large suffers from a collective myopia which prevents it from seeking a new world and often it takes movements or disasters to awaken us from the stupor of the mundane.

One aspect of time addressed her is that it is constant and unending. Hence, human society will never cease in embracing change and proactively instigating it in their lives. Those who refuse to change are often view with pity as other will say they lack the foresight to enjoy another world. As time progresses, various barriers arise that challenge the advancement of society. A good case in point is the since forgotten threat of Bird Flu which could still affect people on a pandemic scale. Such an outbreak is justifiably feared in the threat it poses to the progress of humanity. In the sense that is it never too late, it often require people to challenge their idleness and surmount their self image to embrace change. Steven Herrick writes poem after poem on stories of amelioration because of the desire for a newer world. It is quite clear that with unlimited time, progress is inevitable.

The scientific process can often be divorced from its societal role. Aldous Huxley once asserted that the scientific process and its pursuit of knowledge is an ethical activity. Thus, scientists around the world are perennially involved in the progress of humanity, in seeking another world as it were. Where science can fail, however, is on the basis of communication of facts and discoveries to the society which remains largely ignorant of the significance of their work. As the media often quips, 2006 was the year that politicians and governments around the world discovered global warming. The exasperating issue here is that scientists have warned of these global-scale threats since the early 1980s. The disparity between observation and communicating the threats to thw world indicates an inner unwillingness to seek a new world until absolutely necessary. It may well be the case that global warming may still be combated with incumbent technologies, but it highlights the human condition of idleness that plagues and punishes society.

The mundane or the status quo is a prevalent aspect of Western society. Ironically, progress exists alongside an acceptance of how things are and the notion of change is often an odious voice, that we persecute those who pronounce it. George Bush senior addressing the Earth Summit stated that the “American way of life is not negotiable”. Now, although this statement may be exactly what the public wants to hear, it does nothing to acknowledge the shared heritage and future of our planet. Indeed, such intransigence is an enemy to the need and right of people to seek a new world. As society moves towards the 22^nd century, one must not be fooled in thinking that things will always remain the same. Our planet has a history of altered powers and social directions and it would be myopic to ignore that.

It is quite clear that seeking a new world is a timely and necessary pursuit. What must be overcome is the societal-inertia and mindset that things remain the same. The role science has to play is in better liasing with the public and seeing itself as an ethical pursuit. Finally, our leaders must realise the danger of soporific policies that ignore the common future of humanity.