So a person has a career or two, and to be really good at it takes a considerable amount of resources. To be a parent on top of that takes a little bit of time and energy, learning some and doing some. Then, to be an engaged citizen there's some level of basic background information and understanding a person needs to figure out how it all works, along with an awareness of local issues. But then choosing something to actually DO in response to that constantly changing knowledge and environment. Just to be able to make an educated vote on issues that affect the neighborhood, city, and state. Understanding enough of the national state of affairs (just considering the domestic issues for a minute) takes a regular investment of time and mental resources so that a guy can weigh in on policy when the time comes, probably around election time when politicos and statesmen run for (re-)election. Trying to get a gist of what is happening globally again takes an additional timeslot on a regular basis. The economic scene is a big part of reality, technology and the environment (fracking? Is it really good/bad? and how?), what to do about global warming, GMOs, diabetes, etc.
Clearly, there are millions of us so we don't all have to be well aware of every issue. Each of us could pick one or two issues on every level (personal, familial, professional, local, state, national) and fill in general knowledge about all of them with a few broadly edited magazines, and the principles that guide life as we know it can emerge, but still . . .
With globalization and the continuous march of advancement, building on the historical mountain of previous understandings, we reached a limit a long time ago when a person could know it all. I just wonder if we can get enough people involved in enough issues to be able to keep this thing going. One of my (many) ideas of heaven is seeing how this whole big thing unfolds over the next couple hundred years.
