LESS IS MORE, More or less: TODAY'S VERSION

We're all familiar with that old saying "less is more." How does it relate to today's society?

Stylists have always told women to look in the mirror as they leave to go to go on a date or attend a social function, and then remove one piece of jewelry: less is more, don't overdo it. Home stagers will stress to their clients: remove all clutter and personal items to achieve a sense of space and balance to sell their homes more quickly. Every women knows (or SHOULD) that a light touch of make-up to hide flaws and enhance your appearance is much better than looking like a painted-up cartoon character. A little less will achieve more of a result.

Somehow this message has gotten garbled in today's world. The less you know, the more you have to say. The less of an accredited authority, the more you will be called on to state your opinion. The less you delve into a subject or investigate its veracity, the more believable you want to be. The less grip you have on honesty or sanity, the more you'll host your own show. Oh, wait.....I guess less is more....attention getting, in some sense.

People, I find, are using less common sense and becoming more easily led. They are becoming less civil and more seditious. Instead of striving for the truth they are becoming more strident in their condemnation. Instead of being examples of wisdom and truth, they are becoming more like the people you've cautioned your kids not to be. Religion has become less a spiritual guide by which to live your life, and become a convenient talking point to battle your opponent. Less about you and more about me.

The world is always changing, hopefully evolving. Change is never easy: you never know if it's going to be good or bad. Sometimes it affects us and we didn't really ask for it. But usually we have a hand in the final result. It's not the state of change itself that is most telling, it's our reaction to it.

We've got to get over this "my side right, your side wrong" mentality so prevalent today. A little less use of overworked labels and more courtesy. Less knee-jerk reaction and more thoughtful discourse. I'm not talking pollyanna rhetoric here, folks, but just a stepping back for a moment. Turn off the television for a while. Quit looking at those crudely written signs on display, whether we want to see them or not. Give your brain a chance to regain its composure, as it were. It's all a carnival anymore, and I'm getting dizzy from the merry-go-round.