It often feels like society—or at least western culture—is becoming increasingly shallow. Our news and media are delivered in sound bites and 15-second clips. Our social interactions reduced to likes, emoticons, and 140-character blurbs. Personal appearance and getting our 15 minutes of fame seem more important that character, integrity, and good old fashioned hard work.
I know this is not a completely accurate picture. I am sure there are thousands, if not millions, of grounded folks out there. I'm just saying the trend seems to be swinging to the shallow end of the spectrum.
And the problem with a shallow society is that it breeds individuals with a shallow mentality. Me, me, me. Now, now, now. It breeds impatience, intolerance, and a lack of foresight—the kind of vision needed for fixing what ails humanity.
The solution is to go deep. Dive deep. Be deep.
Going deeper is a learnable skill. We all have the capacity to go deep. How often have you heard yourself say, "I'm just not creative," or "I don't have great ideas"? But how hard have you tried? Really. How many hours have you dedicated to solving your problems or to getting crystal clear on what you want from life? Be honest. Actual hours and minutes. 20 hours? 10, 5, 1? If you were a consultant and were billing time for deep thinking, how much could you honestly bill?
My guess is you're not going deep enough.
Most of us deal with our circumstances on a superficial level. We put Band-Aids on top of Band-Aids. Quick fixes that last just long enough until the problem resurfaces.
Go deep. Go medieval on your problems. Think long and hard. Give those problems the attention they deserve.
Persons of renown and respect are often described as having a depth of knowledge, or experience or character. They're deep. They have layers. Are you developing adequate depth in your life, relationships, or career?
To your good fortune!
