I've often posted about how the Internet is changing the way knowledge is conveyed, and about how a better understanding of the way our world works makes us appreciate it a little more. I have recently been reading a lot of articles on the largest free encyclopedia on the Internet, Wikipedia. There is an absolute wealth of information freely available on the Internet, and Wikipedia brings a lot of it together in a single, easy to use, searchable website. Wikipedia is designed to allow anyone to add or change any information on any topic; the entire site is created be volunteers.
Equally as useful, and maybe even more interesting, is WikiHow; a database of articles on how to do pretty much anything. A lot of the information on WikiHow links to particular pages on Wikipedia in case you want to learn more about it. Today I read an extremely interesting article about how to exercise an open mind (surprisingly, I've already tried many of the things they suggest). You can also learn how to snowboard, survive a long fall, get six-pack abs, and even learn how to do nothing.
Both of these sites demonstrate how the Internet makes sharing knowledge almost as easy as having it passed on first hand. Of course nothing beats experience, so I'd recommend you do more than just read about how to do things. You need to experience them as well.
Wealth of information, yes; wealth of wisdom, no.
Since we only have so many days to live in this body (about 30,000 if we live roughly 100 years), it makes since to gather the requisite knowledge to acheive our aim(s). Generally, people who are aimless don’t put out much energy to acquire much knowledge, though their curiosity or boredom may lead them to explore at least on the surface level of things. On the other hand, a person with a specific objective will spend a lot of time on a specific set or subset of knowledge to further his or her aim.
It seems to me that the ultimate aim of everyone is to be happy. At least no one would say that they enjoy a headache, though some seem to enjoy heartaches (which is often the end result of a ‘heart throb’). But anyway, no one really wants to be insecure, inadequate, and weak-minded. But these negative mental states are the result of our choices. So, clearly our choices are important. Given the time constraints, it is also clear that we should be at least somewhat careful in the choices we make.
We can learn a lot if we have an open, CLEAR mind. On the other hand, if our mind is messed up it is not going to function very well. If the mind is filled with garbage, then every time we open it up it will be like taking the lid off the garbage can, and when we do that, others are going to smell our mental garbage. (Of course, we will smell it too, but then we will already be living in it.)
I only bring this up because I opened up a few of the Wikipedia links which you gave. One referrenced ‘swinging’ and another recommended reading the writings of the Marguis De Sade. Frankly, it would be a waste of time and mind to consider either of these activities. ‘Swingers’ always end up swinging from the end of a rope, i.e., either a real rope or their own mental rope (as the phrase goes: “I am at the end of my rope”), and the Marquis De Sade definitely ended up at the end of his rope, totally insane and incarcerated in a mental hospital (or, as was the case in those days, a mental prison).
In the words of Dr. T. R. Khanna, “Everyone is free to do whatever they want to do, but no one is free from the consequences of what they do.”
Whether it is worthwhile or not, the Internet includes a wealth of both useful and useless information. Everyone would be wise to make use of that which is useful and discard that which is not.
This is true.
However, in reply to your comment about wasting time and mind on reading about certain things, I would argue that one must understand the bigger picture, both sides of the coin, before being able to achieve a higher goal. One who follows a particular path only because he is told it’s the correct one is not only foolish, but will also never live to his full potential.
Before realizing how he was going to spend the rest of his human life, even Buddha needed to see the pain and suffering in the world (which he was masked from his entire childhood).
I’m not suggesting one should try swinging, or for that matter even try hang gliding or try smoking a hookah. What I am suggesting is that one learn about their existence and if they feel compelled to have that experience then to do so with an open mind. If a person has a good head on their shoulders and they do something with an open mind, they will know whether it’s right or wrong. And if they don’t have a good head on their shoulders, then they are certainly better off doing something with an open mind rather than a closed one.
The Internet is a very useful wealth of information, bad or otherwise. I believe that in the long run, having information available on the Internet actually prevents more people from doing bad things than it does help them. While sitting at your computer, it’s a lot easier to rethink your decision than when standing in front of a peer who just taught you something and is edging you on to try it. Would you rather all the bad information on the Internet be handed down first hand?
Information in general is a good thing. The more informed (good or bad) a person is, the more educated a decision they can make, and the more information is passed down, the less mistakes the previous generation is likely to repeat.