Rev your mind. Seriously, do it.

What's with all the vacant people, staring off into their own personal voids?

And I don’t mean those people (myself included) that you catch off guard, enjoying a quiet moment of retreat, staring off into the beautiful recesses of one’s own mind. No, I mean those people with the vacant look, you know the one I mean: The blank stare, the empty gaze, the blinks that taunt you while you wait, patiently, for a response from the customer “service” employee at a low-cost shopping centre.

I just don’t understand, what is with that? Why is it that some people, a great many people, far too many people, just don't seem to be able to get their minds in gear, any gear. Not even when it is requested, or even needed?

I just don’t understand how this is possible. I understand not knowing an answer, I understand not running in high gear, or being the smartest kid on the block, I even understand being completely uninterested in your job and by virtue not engaging in it. But what I don’t understand is how some people can just stare off into space when asked a direct question, or instructed on a job, or while conversing with a customer; just stare, and blink. It is so far from anything I can wrap my head around.

Truly, it is one thing to not be all that motivated, or move a little sluggishly, or something of that sort. But it seems something altogether different to see people who appear to be trapped in a perpetual state of vacancy, like their mind went for a little stroll at some point and got lost on the way back. I wonder, is this type of mental functioning avoidable? How is it that some people seem to live their lives in this way?

In sharing all of this I’m not trying to be rude, not at all. I’m actually sharing all of this because witnessing this mental vacancy (with alarming frequency) has led me to a little fantasy. Imagine what we could accomplish as a society if we could teach people how to engage their minds at will (or I guess I would settle for just engaging their minds at all).

Come, dream with me for a moment: picture a nation of revved minds, engaged, connected, heck, since this is my dream, let’s even say respectful. Imagine it. Think of what life would be like if people could identify when they needed to engage with a situation, leave the comfort of their void and rev themselves into gear. Just think of all that we could accomplish. It would be a beautiful and amazing thing. With so much potential for growth, and development, progress, success, and discovery, I really do believe it would be a stunning sight, a phenomenal sight. And I really do believe that it is possible, if we want it.

So why then don't we teach people how to master their own mind and engage at will (or at all)? or something akin to that? (Aside from the obvious answer that our standards of education have been swirling down the loo for ages, with decreasing expectations for student knowledge and increasing expectations for making everyone feel warm and fuzzy.) How is it that this is not an educational priority? Do we not know how to teach people to engage their minds? Is it that as a culture we don’t value mental engagement (that would be devastatingly sad)? Or does it simply consume significantly more resources to teach this?

So many questions, so few answers. (If anyone reading this happens to have the answers, or studies examining the answers, do share.)

I don’t seem to have any sort of grand poetic conclusion for this thought. I suppose my bottom line is that I believe that we, people, are capable of so much more, individually and collectively, and I strongly suspect that active and engaged minds are critical to leading us down the road of advancement. So until we figure our how to rev people’s minds en masse, here’s to revving your own mind, and nudging your neighbours to do the same.

nudge nudge.