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Topic 88 Has telephone made communication less personal?

Since the beginning of humankind people need to communicate with each other. After the development of languages and thanks to the incredible ability of mankind to advance, nowadays we enjoy the use of many different types of communication. Letters, the Internet, or telephone allows us to communicate freely with the rest of the world.

In spite of above mentioned, I agree with the statement that new types of communications have made contacts between people less personal.

Unfortunately, the technology age we live in forces us to adopt the contemporary way of communication, which is almost impersonal. While hurrying to work more and more, chasing our aims, or focusing only on money making, practically we have forgotten that one of our primary social needs is to communicate face-to-face. To save time we often prefer to send an email or to make a phone call than to have a simple face-to-face talk with our friends or parents, for example.

Furthermore, those types of impersonal communications will sooner or later place us into isolation. Nowadays, we are often afraid to make new acquaintances; we have troubles to express ourselves when we communicate face-to-face; or we experience difficulties to hold an informal conversation. What is more, we find much easier to communicate with other people by email and phone.

Not only do we forget about our simple role as social members but we also do not enjoy it as we did before. Modern technology has made connections between people so impersonal that we are at the threshold of a new single world culture. This fact gives the answer to the question why so many people of our generation are victims of the illness called loneliness.

Although telephones and the Internet have made contacts between people much more easier, our virtual friends will remain virtual and a simple call will not substitute the hours we can spend with our families. Therefore, I truly believe that nothing can replace personal, face-to-face communication between people.

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Topic 89 What person in history you would like to meet?

If I were granted an opportunity to travel back in time, the first person I would like to visit is Buddha. I hope to learn from such a wise and benevolent figure on my own. And I want to ask him for advice on the predicament we human beings are in.

Buddha is a symbol of humanity, a symbol of wisdom, leniency, tolerance and virtue. Millions of people over the world respect him. Sometimes it occurs to me rather difficult to understand that why a person of two thousands years ago can affect human spirit so much. If I had the opportunity, I really want to stand beside him, touch him, and perceive his strength.

When I visit him, I would ask him about the idea of tolerance non-violence. What I want to ask him is that how people, in an era full of violence, can restore the trust among each other and learn to negotiate peacefully. I would ask him if we still have any possibility to stop the war in Iraq, to calm the violence in Palestine, to return peace back to Afghan, to cure the terrible nightmare of Sept. 11 catastrophe in New York.

When I visit him, I would also ask him about diversity and co-existence. What would he think of Jesus Christ, Allah, Confucius, whether we have only one path to final happy or we would have different choices? Will Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Communists, Green Peace Warriors and any other groups of people co-exist in this tiny global village? I would ask him about Hitler, Stalin, and Ben Laden, whether he thinks human beings should tolerate them or not? I would also ask him if he could give any advice for ordinary people like me, how to access happy, and how to access peace.

Buddha is Buddha, and he would not disappoint me. I am sure!

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