If they give away super powers, you won’t find me in the Omniscience line. The internet is like having every possible thought all at one time, and this constant access to information and opinion ruins the experience a bit.

While I’m admittedly dating myself here, I remember when The Empire Strikes Back came out. Nobody knew that Darth Vader was Luke’s father. You didn’t have to pull a social media blackout to avoid the information. It simply wasn’t there the way it is now. You had to run into a friend who had already seen it, and chances were they wouldn’t blurt out spoilers because, well, people aren’t huge dicks in the real world.

Even into the 90’s and early 2000’s, there wasn’t an informational blast to the face every time you turned on your computer. You had to boot your desktop up, wait an hour for everything to load, then you had to make sure no one else was on the other line, then you had to put in the AOL disc… you get the point.

Now, every thought anyone has ever thought goes off in your pocket in real time.

The problem with all of this is that it affects the way we process things. You don’t have enough time to have an original thought.  It’s hard to figure out how you feel about anything when you’re subconsciously being beaten about the head with sacks full of other people’s thoughts.

You used to be able to watch a movie with a certain level of forgiveness.  I didn’t need to know how The Force worked. It just “worked” for the six hours it took for me to watch the original trilogy. Then the internet happened and smarter nerds than me began to ask questions about the science of it all. The cinematic mythos wasn’t enough. We need more!

And that’s when midichlorians and Jar Jar Binks happened.

Remember Lord of the Rings and how the hordes of people cried, “Why didn’t they just ride the eagles to Mordor?”  Remember how much more fun the books and movies were before people asked that stupid question?

Out of 7.6 billion people, someone covers it, whatever it is. You’re not allowed to not think a thought.  All the what-ifs just get rattled off on your screen, unsolicited, like Girl Scout cookies you didn’t want. But I’m on a diet! Whatever. You opened your front door and someone threw a thousand boxes of Thin Mints into your living room. It’s better to just read a good Health magazine, nutrition and fitness and follow a good diet. Like it’s somehow your fault because you have a front door in the first place.  Try not to eat them. Good luck.

I like having access to it all, but I also like my ignorance.  I like a world where plot holes go unnoticed and things are enjoyable simply for what they are.

Challenge yourself to do something without being tainted by the chorus of Yelpers first. Go see a movie without reading about it. Eat at a restaurant without skimming the reviews. Buy an album on iTunes just because you like the band’s name and cover art. You’ll be shocked at how gratifying things can be when you stop look at them through no filter but your own.