YOU ARE WHAT YOU (SEE) READ

Librarians and teachers regularly used to tell us, “You are what you read”. Read bad literature and you produce bad thoughts and actions, they said. Read good literature and you produce good thoughts and actions.

Early computer experts used to say “garbage in, garbage out.” The computer can only produce from the material given it. Give it garbage and you get garbage.

Today we also would say, “You are what you see.” And today we see in movies, TV, computers and Ipods and Smart Phone screens extraordinary amounts of violence. A great percentage of the movie trailers (previews), feature huge doses of violence. Could it not be true that “violence in means violence out”?

And the violence is “impersonal”. In video games faceless people are obliterated. In movies, advanced weapons “evaporate” people with no pain or consequence to the person doing the violent act.

So why do we have all this violence and mayhem portrayed on screen and in literature? Because it sells. And why does it sell? I think for many people this screen violence expresses inner rage and frustrations and anger.

So one thing we can do is to deal with our own anger and frustration and rage in positive, productive ways. Like what?, you might ask. Like articulating your anxieties and frustrations to a trusted friend, minister, priest, rabbi or counselor. Like getting more healthy physical exercise and diet. Like drinking alcohol in moderation. Like worship and confession of anger and then prayer for forgiveness and peace of mind and self-control.

And what else? Choosing good movies to see and good literature to read. And what else? Supervising what our children ingest spiritually and intellectually. And what else? Selecting good friends and associates and productive leisure time activities. And what else? Finding a place of worship where we are put in touch with the Divine, stretching our hearts and minds to the transcendent dimension, giving us perspective on the infinite meaning of our life.

In a very real sense, we are what we read and see. Garbage in, garbage out. We can keep the garbage out of ourselves and our children. And ours will be the healthier, more productive life when we do.