Text Me - 10/13/11

With the proliferation of smart phones and affordable data plans in the last several years, texting has replaced talking as the primary means for communication on cell phones between many children, teenagers, young adults, and even professionals.  While it lacks the immediacy of verbal communication, it provides a less abrasive, in-your-face method for conveying and receiving information.  It allows the texter free reign to say what they want, with the consequence for failure being less severe.  Being rejected or ignored through text is a neat little way for the ego to side-step what it would otherwise see as a devastating affront.  It allows the ego freedom to make up excuses for such offenses.  When ignored, the ego may claim that your friend, lover, family member, or acquaintance is merely too busy to respond and will get back to you when they can.  If your opinions, plans, or ideas are rejected, perhaps the ego will take solace in knowing that the other person would change their mind had you presented your case in person, allowing your inherent charm and demeanor to manipulate them into compliancy.

Whatever the case, texting is a safety net for the ego.  It is a way for the ego to reenact its disfunctional, contentious behavior time and time again without fear of an immediate loss of self-worth.

I find that texting is a wonderful tool and is in line with where I see communication eventually headed.  Sometime, possibly in the not-too-distant future, we will all be linked to a sort of neural network.  Communication between our individual selves will then be instantaneous, like a form of telepathy.  But unlike texting, this connection will be beneficial, as it will invalidate the ego as opposed to perpetuating it. 

The walls that divide us will come toppling down as miscommunication, pretenses, sarcasms, and deceptions will be uprooted and completely removed from our perception.  And how will this happen?  Because of interconnectivity.  No longer will it be possible for us to lie or hide the truth of ourselves from one another.  A hive mind will replace the divisive, myopic individual units of consciousness that we've identified with, and all experience will become a collective one, free for anyone to engage in at their leisure.

Or not.  But until that does or does not happen, feel free to text me, because like most people firmly entrenched in their ego, you've gotta know that I won't pick up the phone if you call. ;)