Think Today

During random internet surfing I came across an interesting picture of a speedboat accident. What caught my attention, besides the obvious lack of attention that would cause someone to hit a stationary pole in open water, was the name “Temporary Insanity” and numeral “II”. Apparently this is not the first time this person has lost control.



This seems a perfect example of a disturbing attitude: that foolish, irresponsible behavior is not only acceptable, but even something to brag about. “Boy was I drunk last night, I don’t remember a thing!” “I got my motorcycle over 130MPH over on I-8!” "I bought a boat I can't afford, but boy is it hot!"

The Darwin Awards make fun of those who lose their lives while doing foolish things. But I think everyone can and should learn to use their brain to regulate their impulses. This is what the logic portion of the brain was made for.

While some people think of impulsiveness in terms of being spontaneous and having fun, scientific studies indicate that it is more often harmful (such as the example in the picture). Self-destructive behaviors ranging from smoking to suicide all are associated with this type of poor self-control.

It is a matter of education. Not the sort of rote learning that gets you a passing grade on the test; even a parrot can recite stuff back. It is understanding and critical thinking that people need to be taught. Unfortunately, it seems that many political and business leaders would rather have people obedient rather than thoughtful. Vote Republican/Democrat: the other side is evil. Buy my product, lots of it. The consequences be damned.

So think today and live a long life. There is too much happiness that the years can bring to risk missing it all over an uncontrolled impulse, even if you make a joke about it and call it “temporary insanity”.