In our current, modern society, our lives are full of all sorts of different pursuits. Personal pursuits, educational pursuits, materialistic pursuits, and so on. Our minds and thoughts are consumed by these pursuits. We make plans and take action in fulfilling them. Today, it’s this, tomorrow it’s that, and so forth. The problem is though, that we never seem to take a step back and look at the grand scheme of things. Why are we getting an education? Why are we keeping up with current events and trends? Why are we buying the products, which we are buying? Why are we going out to party on that particular day? What is everything we do, adding up to? Of course, the answers to these questions are simple, when we look at the surface of things.
Some answers can be, that we are getting an education because we want to learn and have a good future, that we keep up with the world so we know what’s going on and won’t be left behind, that we are buying those products because we want them or need them for the lifestyles we are leading, that we are going out to party on that particular day because it’s a special occasion, and finally that everything we are doing is helping us become better individuals and lead good lives.
Looking at questions like these from the surface, makes our lives seem good and meaningful. Civilization has certainly progressed greatly, leading to great lifestyles for the vast majority of people. But that’s just what we need to look at more deeply. The lives we lead are dictated largely by our surroundings, and hence, if all of us are leading somewhat similar lives, are we really “individuals”? Makes one wonder.
Nature is defined as “the natural forces that control what happens in the world”. It is a system designed for the continuation of itself. A common topic in Global Warming is that we humans need the earth and nature for our survival, while the earth or nature, on the other hand, does not necessarily need us. Our society is designed similarly, generations of people have passed away, while our society continues. In a general sense, society is designed in a way in which individuals are born, and then educated, in order for them to achieve their full potential, with which they can then contribute to society for the greater good, and that is of course a great society. However, most of us do not come to this vital understanding, as we are all so consumed by our individual pursuits in life for whatever reasons.
So after having examined the society we inhabit, it can seem that our lives are somewhat dictated by it, but only if we sleep through life without questioning a few things. The choices we make, determine the lives we lead, this is something everyone knows. However, what needs more emphasis is the fact that, the more knowledge and understanding we have, the better the choices we take will turn out to be.
That is what Teen Manifesto is all about. At Teen Manifesto, we aim to examine the society we live in, and the many factors that affect our lives, in order for us all to have a better understanding, and hence more knowledge, so we can truly take the right paths in life.
Teen Manifesto is called “Teen” Manifesto, because we are hoping primarily to broaden the horizon, and improve the understanding of teenagers around the world with our examining posts. Teenagers are the ones who are old enough to understand such ideas, but also young enough to still make the right choices. Nevertheless, everyone is equally welcome to read, comment, and join the discussion in our Forum.
We welcome all our readers to write to us about anything they wish to tell us from the Contact section, and encourage everyone to join the discussion in the Forum if they feel they have anything they want to discuss with others, in order for all of us to gain a deeper understanding, and more knowledge about the bigger picture of our lives.
