The Virtuous and the Virtual

We were always told that one should lead a virtuous life- by the parents, by the elders, by the scriptures, and so on. What we (mankind, or most of it) have done is somewhat different. We lead a virtual life, instead of a virtuous one.

Question is, why? There are several reasons. The virtual life is a lot easier. All you need is a computer with an internet connection. You can virtually live your entire life on it. Of course, someone has yet to figure out how to drink coffee on the net and well,... brush your teeth, but pretty much everything else can be done on it. Education, for instance. From simple homework, to projects, to an entire degree, you can virtually do a KG to PG on the net. There are some students who believe that education did not exist before Bill Gates. Instead of B.C., they probably would probably understand B.G. (Before Gates) a lot better. And to think that we actually lived in that era- incredible as it seems to a youngster today.

If you wanted to be virtuous, you would have to go to the library, read books, copy (xerox) important stuff, re-read it, understand it, and so on. What a waste of time and effort. The virtual world, with its two step invention, reduces "virtually" anything to Cut and Paste. If the nice guys at google have already done it for you, why replicate the effort?

In an effort to be virtuous, you would need to take responsibility for everything. Making friends, rearing your children, doing household chores, and for growing up. Now, you don't need to. Remain in the virtual world, and you don't need anything, except a dad or mom early in your life, to buy you a computer (with an internet connection). Friends are made and maintained on facebook. When was the last time you met all your facebook 'friends'?

A virtuous life meant sacrificing things, for others' benefit. In the virtual world, all you sacrifice is your sleep, because nothing real exists, so there is no need to sacrifice anything.

My stomach groans in hunger. Is it for real? Let me find out. Will be back soon, after a short break.