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By:

Anil D. Salve

21 March 2026 at 8:11:09 pm

A Drought of Wisdom in an Ocean of Information

We live in an age where information is everywhere. With a single click, we can access news from across the world, thousands of opinions, countless videos and endless claims. Knowledge has never been so accessible. Yet, in this overwhelming flow of information, something increasingly scarce is discernment-the ability to distinguish what deserves our belief from what deserves our doubt. Information and knowledge are not the same. Reading, watching or hearing something does not automatically...

A Drought of Wisdom in an Ocean of Information

We live in an age where information is everywhere. With a single click, we can access news from across the world, thousands of opinions, countless videos and endless claims. Knowledge has never been so accessible. Yet, in this overwhelming flow of information, something increasingly scarce is discernment-the ability to distinguish what deserves our belief from what deserves our doubt. Information and knowledge are not the same. Reading, watching or hearing something does not automatically make it true. We need the ability to verify information, understand its context, recognise its purpose and only then form an opinion. In the digital age, this ability has become one of the most important forms of wisdom. Social media has transformed the way information travels. WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and other platforms have made communication faster, wider and more accessible. But the same speed that connects society can also overwhelm it. Information often reaches us before facts do. A headline is read before the full story. A short video is watched without knowing what happened before or after it. A photograph is circulated without its original context. A message arrives with the familiar words, “Forwarded as received,” and within minutes it may reach thousands of people. By the time the truth catches up, the rumour may already have done its work. The problem becomes even more serious when misinformation is deliberately created and circulated. Rumours may be planted not merely to mislead individuals but to divert public attention from an important issue, create suspicion, damage someone's reputation or push society towards a particular narrative. A distraction does not always need to be completely false. Sometimes a small piece of truth is mixed with exaggeration, selective facts or emotional language. The result can be more powerful than an outright lie because it appears believable. This is how narratives are manufactured. Social media platforms can become powerful tools in this process. A repeated claim begins to look familiar, and familiarity is often mistaken for truth. A provocative post attracts attention. Thousands of reactions create the impression that “everyone” believes it. One emotional video triggers another, comments intensify the mood, and before facts have an opportunity to speak, public sentiment may have already shifted. This is where mob psychology enters the picture. A society can move from calm to anger, suspicion to trust, or optimism to fear with surprising speed. People who would ordinarily think carefully may react differently when they see thousands of others expressing outrage, fear or hostility. The individual begins to follow the crowd, and the crowd begins to reinforce the individual. The danger is not limited to negative emotions. The same mechanism can also be used positively-to mobilise people for social causes, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, public awareness and community action. Technology itself is neither wise nor foolish. Its impact depends on how information is created, amplified and consumed. The greatest danger, therefore, is not that we have too much information. It is that we may lose the habit of thinking while consuming it. We are increasingly becoming consumers of information rather than creators of thought. Everyone has access to information today, but access does not necessarily mean understanding. The boundaries between a rumour and a report, an opinion and a fact, popularity and truth are becoming increasingly blurred. A post does not become true because thousands of people have liked it. A video does not become evidence merely because it has gone viral. An opinion does not become a fact because it is expressed confidently. An idea does not become correct simply because it confirms what we already believe. This last point deserves particular attention. We often accept information not because it is accurate, but because it is comfortable. We are naturally attracted to information that confirms our existing beliefs and suspicious of information that challenges them. In the digital world, this tendency can be amplified by algorithms that repeatedly expose us to content similar to what we have already watched, liked or shared. Gradually, we may find ourselves living inside an information bubble where we hear many voices-but mostly voices that agree with us. That is not diversity of information. It is an illusion of certainty. Discernment does not mean doubting everything. It means thinking before believing. It means asking simple but powerful questions: Who is saying this? What is the evidence? What is the context? What may be missing? Who benefits if I believe it? And have I heard the other side? These questions may take only a few seconds, but they can prevent hours, days or even years of misunderstanding. This responsibility is particularly important for the younger generation. Children today are growing up in an environment of unprecedented information exposure. They can encounter more information in a few hours than earlier generations might have encountered in weeks. Therefore, education cannot merely teach students how to collect, remember and reproduce information. It must teach them how to question, verify, analyse and interpret it. A student who can write the correct answer in an examination may be academically successful. But a student who knows how to ask the right question is better prepared for life. The classroom of the future must therefore produce not merely informed students, but thinking citizens. They must learn that forwarding a message is also a form of responsibility. Sharing a post is not an innocent act when it can affect someone's reputation, create public fear or influence social behaviour. The challenge becomes even greater in the age of Artificial Intelligence. AI can generate information, images, audio and video with extraordinary speed and sophistication. The distinction between what is real and what merely appears real may become increasingly difficult. In such a world, human judgment becomes more valuable, not less. Technology can produce an answer in seconds. It cannot automatically tell us whether that answer deserves our trust. Some answers require experience. Some require context. Many require the ability to think independently. We have more information, more technology and more connectivity than any previous generation. Yet our real challenge is to preserve something technology cannot manufacture for us: the capacity to think for ourselves. The ocean of information will only become larger. The question will no longer be, “How much information do we have?” The more important questions will be: What should we accept? What should we question? What should we verify? And what should we reject? No technology can completely answer these questions for us. No number of likes can substitute for evidence. No viral trend can replace judgment. No majority can turn misinformation into truth. That responsibility belongs to human beings. Information can tell us what happened. Discernment helps us understand what it means, why it happened, what may be missing from the story and how we should respond. Perhaps, therefore, the greatest educational challenge of our time is not to teach people how to find more information. They already know how to do that. The greater challenge is to teach them how to pause-to pause before believing, to pause before reacting, to pause before forwarding and to pause before joining the crowd. Because sometimes the most intelligent response to information is not an immediate reaction, but a moment of reflection. The ocean is already around us. It is growing deeper every day. What we need now is not more information to swim through it-but the wisdom to know which direction to take. (The writer is the Principal of Podar International School, Ausa, Latur. Views personal.)

Dharana: The Art of Steadying the Mind

Writer: Shraddha Deshpande
Shraddha Deshpande
9 hours ago
3 min read

Dharana is not about stopping thoughts; it is about repeatedly returning attention.

In the fast-paced rhythm of modern life, our attention is constantly drawn in different directions. We move from one task to another, often without giving our complete attention to anything. Although the body may remain in one place, the mind can travel through a stream of thoughts, memories, plans and concerns.


Yoga offers a systematic approach to understanding and refining the mind. One of the important stages in this journey is Dharana — concentration.


Maharshi Patanjali defines 'Dharana' in the Yoga Sutras: “देशबन्धश्चित्तस्य धारणा॥”— योगसूत्र ३.१


This means binding or fixing the mind to a particular place, object or subject.


In simple terms, Dharana is the conscious practice of bringing the mind to one chosen point and allowing it to remain there.


Consider a familiar situation. We may sit down to read a book, but within a few moments our attention shifts to something else. We notice that the mind has wandered. When we gently bring our attention back to the book, without frustration or force, we are already practising the essence of Dharana.


The object of concentration may be external—a visual image, a symbol or a flame—or internal, such as the breath, a mantra, or a subtle point within the body. The choice of object can vary according to the individual and the purpose of the practice.


At first, maintaining attention may not be easy. The mind naturally wanders, and this is a normal part of the process. The practice lies not in preventing every thought from arising but in recognising when attention has moved away and calmly bringing it back.


This is what gradually develops mental steadiness and one-pointed attention.


Dharana is also closely connected with the next stage of the yogic journey—Dhyana, or meditation. Patanjali explains, "तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम्॥”— योगसूत्र ३.२


This means that when the flow of awareness towards the chosen object becomes continuous and uninterrupted, it is called Dhyana.


Thus, Dharana may be understood as the foundation of meditation. In Dharana, there is an intentional effort to hold the mind to one point. As this effort gradually becomes steady and continuous, it naturally moves towards Dhyana.


A simple analogy can help us understand the distinction. When water is scattered in different directions, its force is limited. When the same water is channelled into one stream, it gains direction and strength. Similarly, when the mind is scattered among numerous thoughts and impressions, its attention is divided. Dharana helps gather this scattered attention and give it a clear direction.


This ability has great value in everyday life. A student needs it while studying, a professional while working, an artist while creating, and an individual while listening, communicating or making important decisions. Concentration is not merely a spiritual quality; it is an essential aspect of a balanced and purposeful life.


The contemporary environment makes this discipline particularly relevant. Constant notifications, information overload and the habit of frequently shifting attention can make sustained concentration more difficult. Setting aside a few quiet minutes each day to focus on one chosen object can therefore be a meaningful practice for cultivating attention and inner discipline.


Dharana does not require complicated techniques. One can begin by sitting comfortably in a quiet place, keeping the body steady and allowing the breath to settle. The chosen object is then brought into awareness. Whenever the mind wanders, attention is gently returned to that object.


The duration need not be long in the beginning. Regularity is more important than duration. With consistent practice, the mind gradually becomes familiar with remaining in one place rather than constantly moving from one thought to another.


It is equally important to remember that Dharana is not an attempt to suppress thoughts or create a completely blank mind. Thoughts may arise naturally. The real practice is to remain aware and consciously choose where attention is placed.


In the classical yogic tradition, Dharana therefore represents an important movement—from scattered attention towards focused awareness, from restlessness towards stability, and from outward distraction towards inner observation.


In a world where our attention is constantly being sought, the ability to consciously direct it is a valuable form of inner strength. Dharana teaches us that concentration is not about forcing the mind into stillness; it is about training the mind to remain where we consciously choose to place it.


And when attention becomes steady, the deeper journey towards meditation begins.


(The writer is a yoga educator and researcher based in Pune. Views personal.)

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