Compared to any other time in human history, people today seem to have too little time, drink too much coffee, sleep too little, and simply have too much work to do. Ironically, our modern technology allows us to execute tasks more efficiently than ever before yet as time goes by, we struggle more to make time for both ourselves and others. Hence, we may not attribute this current social anxiety to only our tasks at hand but should also investigate the essence of human consciousness to understand this particular trend.

We then ask why such phenomenon occurs, and the question answers itself in revealing the innate human nature of curiosity; the internal human desire to seek the truth, gain knowledge, and become more aware act to motivate us ask such and any question. This passion is further enflamed by the fuel modern technology feeds us with vast and accessible knowledge.

Although it is only natural that the flame burns greater with more fuel, excessive energy and overworking pose a serious problem on the engine that the fuel drives itself. Despite the advantages of being knowledgeable and of having an appetite for knowledge, humans are governed by the laws of nature and restricted in our ability pertained to our flesh, and however powerful of an engine or spiritual and intellectual beings we are, we are limited by certain characteristics of the world within the universe.

This particular risk is the reason of concern, and we must acknowledge and accept certain imperfections of our inherited characters under the world that constantly changes. This is not to encourage less work nor to discourage diligent work, but to inform the cause of the additional stress modern society has undertaken and is bound to carry.

We must also acknowledge that the availability of energy and fuel does not necessarily indicate wasteful and unproductive use of the resources. We can, instead, face a new challenge of conserving the fuel that was scarce before and now abundant, and sensibly use the fuel to cultivate the engine’s full potential without overworking the engine itself. In fact, the vast resource is certainly to be an advantage if harvested reasonably rather than excessively. The great engine of mankind has run far, and to keep it running as it ought to be, we must be careful not to burn the engine off.

Byung Jin, Han
Troy High School
12th Grade