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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.)

Pranayama: The Ancient Breath Practice for Modern Well-Being

Writer: Shraddha Deshpande
Shraddha Deshpande
Apr 14
3 min read

Often described as ‘breathing exercises’, pranayama is much more than that.

In today’s fast-moving world, stress, anxiety and lifestyle-related disorders have become increasingly common. While modern medicine offers solutions, there is also growing interest in simple, natural practices that support physical and mental well-being. One such practice from the ancient yogic tradition is pranayama.


Often described as “breathing exercises”, pranayama is much more than that. It is a disciplined practice of regulating the breath to calm the mind, influence the body and balance the inner energy system.


Understanding Prana

The word “prana” is commonly translated as “breath”, but in yogic philosophy, it carries a deeper meaning. 'Prana' refers to the vital life force – the subtle energy believed to flow through the body and sustain physiological and mental functions. From a modern perspective, it may be loosely related to respiration, nervous system activity and bioelectrical impulses. While breath is its visible expression, prana itself is understood as a subtler force experienced through awareness.


What is Pranayama?

The term 'pranayama' is derived from two Sanskrit words: 'prana' (life force) and 'ayama' (expansion or regulation). It refers to the conscious regulation and expansion of vital energy through the breath. The practice involves three basic components — inhalation (Puraka), exhalation (Rechaka) and retention (Kumbhaka). By regulating these phases, pranayama is believed to influence the autonomic nervous system, shifting the body from a stress response to a calmer and more balanced state.


Ancient yogic texts regard pranayama as a key element of holistic health. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, it is described as the fourth limb of Ashtanga Yoga, while the Hatha Yoga Pradipika emphasises its role in purifying the body’s subtle energy channels.


In yogic science, prana is understood to operate through five primary subdivisions, known collectively as the Pancha Prana. These include Prana Vayu, associated with breathing and cardiac activity in the chest region; Apana Vayu, linked to elimination and reproductive functions in the lower abdomen; Samana Vayu, connected to digestion and metabolism around the navel; Udana Vayu, believed to influence speech, memory and mental clarity in the throat and head; and Vyana Vayu, which is said to distribute energy throughout the body. Yogic traditions hold that the balanced movement of these five energies plays a vital role in maintaining health and vitality.


Different pranayama techniques are associated with specific effects on the body and mind. Anulom Vilom, or alternate nostril breathing, is often linked to balancing the nervous system and improving focus, while Bhramari, known as the humming bee breath, is commonly practised to reduce stress and promote mental calmness. Kapalbhati is traditionally regarded as a cleansing technique that may support digestion and metabolism, whereas Bhastrika is seen as a more energising practice that can increase vitality. Ujjayi is associated with enhanced concentration and inner awareness, while cooling techniques such as Sheetali and Sheetkari are believed to help regulate body heat. These practices can be adapted for beginners as well as more advanced practitioners.


Power of Breath Retention

One of the key aspects of pranayama is Kumbhaka, or breath retention, which plays an important role in many advanced breathing practices. It generally takes two forms: Antar Kumbhaka, in which the breath is held after inhalation, and Bahya Kumbhaka, in which it is held after exhalation. Practitioners believe Kumbhaka can improve carbon dioxide tolerance, support more efficient oxygen utilisation and help still the mind. However, experts advise that breath retention should be introduced gradually and practised under proper guidance.


To gain the full benefits of pranayama, correct technique is crucial. Practitioners are generally encouraged to sit comfortably with the spine erect, choose a calm and well-ventilated space, and maintain a slow, deep and rhythmic pattern of breathing. The practice is meant to be steady and controlled, without force or strain, and is usually recommended on an empty or light stomach. Those with existing medical conditions are advised to consult a qualified professional before beginning.


In a world that constantly pulls us outward, pranayama gently guides us inward. Simple, accessible and rooted in ancient wisdom, it remains a practice that can bring calm, balance and greater awareness to everyday life.


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

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