Have you ever started down a path only to later regret it?
The more you learn, the less convinced you are it is the right direction?
The truth is we all find ourselves involved with something, or someone, we never intended. For it is easy to get carried away and go with the flow, yet surprisingly difficult to put something in proper context when we are in the midst of it. The longer we wait, the more entrenched we become, and the harder change feels. For it is in our nature to acclimate to our surroundings.
The fortunate reality is we still have a choice. Confronted by the disparity between expectation and reality, we can continue - or we can cease.
Importantly, the choice to stop is not passive. It is an act of will. We must deliberately choose, and then put and end to whatever is misaligned. That is hard. People we care about may be disappointed. You yourself may feel regret. Some of what you lose may not seem harmful - just entertainment, just distraction - but if it drags you down, it falls below the cut line. The stakes are high, and inaction becomes more costly with each passing day.
“He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, “Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture.””
The implication is clear: by remaining immersed in culture, we are shaped by it. If we do not step out, we risk being trapped.
We are profoundly shaped by what we allow in: television, newsfeeds, conversations, music, and even the subtle rhythms of our daily routines. More than we conciously admit, these things shape the person we are becoming.
So maybe the more important question isn’t simply what we’re consuming, but who we are becoming because of it.