Concretization

As with almost every aspect of “developed” or “first world” culture, a cloud of laziness accompanies any call to a challenge. Although finding an easier means of overcoming obstacles has been rooted in human existence since we came to roam the earth, it appears we have achieved a new level of indolence. Understanding abstract philosophical or religions bares no exception. To witness this one need look no further than todays pop culture. A quick Google search of “celebrity tattoos” yields upwards of 54 million results in a little over 2 tenths of a second. Riddled among the image results are countless crosses, Taijitu’s, words in Sanskrit and other philosophical or religious symbols. Riddled among these are famous …show more content…

I, too, am guilty of the act.
When I went to military school in the 9th grade each cadet was responsible for two pairs of shoes, the dailies and the dress. The dailies were to have no scuff or tearing around the sole but would ultimately suffice with a rather dull finish. The dress shoes, on the other hand, were required to be shined to a mirror finish; a feet that requires the perpetual spit shine of rag and polish until the pores of the leather are filled. A rule of thumb is that one should be able to see the whites in their eyes when they pick up to inspect the shoe. After three hours work on one shoe alone, a blurred outline of my face was all I could make out. An older student heard me complaining to my roommate and came by to see what was the fuss. “I’ve been working on these all day,” I muttered, “this is impossible”. He smiled and turned as if to undermine my complaint. “Delayed gratification,” he replied as he walked off, “delayed gratification.” This was the first time I had heard the phrase. I looked it up and have kept it in the back of my mind ever since.
In this increasingly fast paced world we live in, instant gratification is phasing out the concept of hard work and reward. This holds true in our approach to religious/philosophical beliefs. We all want to just get it... just understand… just be enlightened.