Internet-- reflection on Kierkegaard

I was especially impressed by the following two descriptions made by Kierkegaard on the society and totality. He wrote that “It is selfish within the individual and it results in the selfishness of the society around him, which thus works against him.” and that “[Publicity is] an all embracing something which is nothing” and is “less than a single real man however unimportant.” Not only do they apply to our present age here and now but the situation has gone from bad to worse compared to that in Kierkegaard’s age.

How could living in the totality make people feel even more alienated? Most people live in the crisis of having an undefined self-image. People try harder and harder in their daily life to imitate each other in the illusory public, which appears in the form of fashion among many others. In reality “human nature needs variety” and are born with the impulse to assert himself. As a results, we are often playing the roles not even close to our true selves.

People go on the internet to do crazy things that they won't ever dare in reality or to express their real feelings simply because it is safe there— “nothing really happens” there. This escape is now more convenient to practice than in Kierkegaard’s age. At then, people may create an illusionary world of forms in their deliberation. Now, we made an improvement by providing one readily available— the virtual world built on wires and wares. If Kierkegaard could have seen the situation here and now, he may very likely become willing to agree more with Hegelian for at least they think (no matter how empty those ideas are detached from real life, they do think).

Kierkegaard's message remains true for all of us. You have to look at things in perspective, to be aware of the trick the totality (including the public, mass media and the society) is playing before us and to recognize the real precious thing— our individualities. No matter how accessible a world of unknown has become and how much fun there is to just intake, we should hold onto what’s intimate and long-lasting to us. We should be aware of the fact that though there are things that are convenient, they are seldom necessary to our existence. Maybe we actualized ourselves through them, but the invaluable still lies in our self-fulfillment rather than in those dead wires and wares.