A Moving Image
A Moving Image
By Egor Hagberg
“Perhaps one never seems so much at one’s ease as when one has to play a part.”
- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
In a world of noise, silence becomes a luxury. One of the basic truths of today is that we’re constantly bombarded by every manner of stimulant, be it advertisements, traffic noise, social media posts, among countless others. What’s worse is, with the approach of summer, university studies become ever more unmanageable, as summer’s allure draws everyone’s attention. With summer come the promises of greatness, be it through something as careerist as an internship or as relaxing as a well-deserved vacation. Point is, such things bring with them further noise and further opportunity to restlessly keep planning towards a future that is yet to be, rather than focusing on the now.
While there are many things one can do to realign with time’s pace, one of the more destructive impulses is to turn to social media as an escape from one’s future woes. While this coping mechanism is understandable, it is most certainly unsustainable, a revelation that has reached many, yet impacted few. I myself would like to think that I am not too susceptible to the time-killing, energy-draining practice of endless scrolling, and yet, everyone succumbs to it once in a while. What do we turn to when we feel unproductive as a result of social media scrolling, though? To endless work? To fleeting hobbies? To further means of drowning out our future responsibilities? Or do we turn to friends and family?
Nowadays, we barely reflect upon our mission in this world. . And no, a mission does not necessarily entail (nor does it preclude) the completion of some higher purpose or the saving of the world from one (or a multitude) of its many woes. A mission, in my eyes, is nothing more than a very clear and simple modus operandi, be it to learn something new everyday, make someone’s day a little brighter or, something I am trying to take on myself, to be brave enough to initiate plans that may otherwise not take place. Something as simple, or more simple, as any of the prior mentioned ideals will no doubt lead one to a greater sense of accomplishment, breaking the recurring, tiresome, bleak and meek cycles that pollute our day-to-day routines.
These assertions are by no means an excuse to completely isolate oneself from the daily routines common to us all, to become a vagabond, unbridled by any sort of simple responsibilities. It is, however, an invitation to do more, expect less, gain more and be disappointed by less in our lives. If everyone were to take on one simple purpose in life, I sincerely believe that that can have the power of turning round the growing trends of purposelessness felt by many in their lives, not to mention giving everyone the opportunity to cut through the noise and reach the cognitive peace and quiet that is so often desired. For if I could wish for one thing and one thing only, I would wish that more people would see the value not in the picture of their life and its vices, but in the true face they wear.