News power
ANURADHA C
We fondly call our current times as the information age; and rightly so, since information is power today. Live cricket updates, breaking news on TV, coffee table gossips at work, sneak review of a movie, all feed into this information urge in us. But where is this crazy urge to gain information leading us? Is all information useful, and worthy of the time and effort we spend on acquiring it?
All of us are constantly in search of those moments that bring us glory and attention. The best way to steal these moments is be the source of virgin information. And lo, there I become an instant hero! I try breaking the news of the latest love affair in my company to my news-starved colleagues and bask in the celebrity status that I earn instantly. For all the sadism deeply entrenched, my neighbour’s fateful encounter with a pick pocket in the morning would serve as a perfect tea time story for our neighbourhood! Never mind the nature of the tale; it’s the charm of being the first to narrate it, that’s the sweetest.
Information flow from the first source travels through several mouthpieces. But with every passing mouthpiece, the information takes a distorted turn and takes on several shades. A flowing river is pristine and clear at the source in the hills, goes on to take different shades and forms, finally getting maligned and weakened, as it meanders its way into the plains. Information loses integrity and relevance. If we are such great fans of information, then why are we poor listeners in school, college, lectures, discourses, where the very purpose is to spread a word or two? We want to be the source of information and that explains why most humans are bad listeners.
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