The word was "Ken" and this is the definition according to Merriam-Webster.
:the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge
Ok that was interesting to me, I didn't even know that was a word before.
I've also been reading a book. It has really brought to light how small my Ken is. I'm talking about how unaware I am of the suffering and death going on around the world. People go their entire lives where there highest pursuit in life is to survive. Kids starving to death, populations of people dying unreached with the message of salvation, and I feel like that doesn't even factor into my ken. It is like something is keeping me to coming to that realization. It just hasn't hit me how messed up this world is and how good I really have it relative to most people. Why am I not one of the kids who dies before they are grow up? I can't take credit for it. What am I supposed to do knowing that I have so much priveledge when a lot of people aren't having the needs meet for basic survival? How am I supposed to feel?
My whole way of thinking is being challenged. I am beginning to see how stupid this society is. I am beginning to see how strong of a hold of materialism has on the people in this country. I grew up with this and I haven't really been exposed to much else. How can I really know how to live for anything besides just getting more stuff and advancing my own position in the world? I need to realize that my world isn't contained within the United States.
A lot of things that I used to think were decent and acceptable are now worthless and wasteful. We waste so so much in this country. What gives us the right to do that? Because we created the things we wasted in the first place? No one has anything that wasn't given to them in some way.
It is almost like I didn't have any idea that the world was messed up and I'm just starting to see it. There is no way that I could be living my life the way I am wasting stuff and seeking stupid worthless stuff that our culture says is important while being aware of the need elsewhere and not feel like I'm a monster.
What needs to change is people need to stop thinking that they deserve everything and trying to get more stuff and just advance their own place in the world. That won't solve other people's problems, but that would solve the United States' problem with being a bunch of sarlacci who's ken is limited to the next consumption.
