2/23/2018 0 Comments Tragedy of the Modern ManTragedy is a much-anticipated genre of fiction, as well has it become a major feature in real life. It is something that has adapted to suit those of “high prosperity” and “worthy status” in addition to the “common man” – yet it is believed that the biggest tragedies come of those who have more to lose, but I strongly believe that it is not about what you lose, it’s about the fact you have lost. Well, I am a very big believer of fate and the common idea that everything happens for a reason – whether that’s through a genuine belief or the comforting thought that these mistakes we make throughout our life are merely minor stepping stones of failures that will lead to much greater success. However, many tragedies thrive on the idea that their protagonist had no other option to escape their fate. It is this idea I find fault in, for I believe there is always another path that we can take and that our destiny is just the most obvious path so we choose to take it. The most common flaws among our tragic heroes and heroines is naivety and impulsiveness; therefore, we choose this most obvious path because we are either too rash to consider the other paths or too inexperienced and fearful to go an alternate route. That is why the biggest tragedy is accepting your tragedy.
Or in other words, giving up. One of the most prominent tragedies of the modern man is illness, a tragedy that has always been common but not always well-known. All illness is misfortune, but it is the most critical ones that do a significant amount of damage – not just to one’s health, but to one’s faith. It is saddening to hear that people who have been diagnosed with these critical, or terminal, illnesses lose hope and, well, give up. When they put solemn faith in what the doctor says. When they give up on their former values. When they just wait to succumb to their tragedy. Unfortunately, yes – illness is not a tragic path we can always escape, but that certainly does not mean the chance is gone. Take Stephen Hawking for an example: an exceptional man famously known for not only managing to outlive motor-neurone disease (a disease known to defeat the modern man within a few years), but also for his outstanding work as a theoretical physicist despite his condition. So, this proves that a little perseverance has the ability to get you back on your feet, as well as a little ignorance to what people tell you is going to happen with your life, as no amount of certainty can ensure something is set in stone. It is unfortunate that the greatest fear and dismay in our society is inflicted on us by our own media. The news and new digital media has not just become something informative and entertaining, but it seems to be a kind of mind-numbing injection that exploits our passivity and controls the way we approach life. Take terrorism for example – a topic that is deemed to have a greater importance in our world than ever before. But has it? Or has it ALWAYS been there? I believe it is the media that has had a greater importance in our world than ever before – the more it advances, the more we rely on it. Therefore, through the news informing us of latest acts in terrorism is scaremongering us in a way that our fear compels us to want to not even set a foot outside our door. It’s stopping people from travelling, attending big events and visiting popular cities. This media fear has brought to our modern lives another tragedy. Because I cannot think of anything more tragic and miserable than reaching an admirable old age but looking back on your life and the things you stopped yourself from doing. So don’t let fear brought by our own media stop you from doing something courageous, something memorable, something daring. At the end of the day, a life wasted is just as bad as a life lost. The tragedy of the modern man. Giving up and giving in.
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Jem DuttonStudent Blogger. Archives
April 2018
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