To many, thought is something that must be exercised and used. But it is more than that. A thought will not exist if you do not use it. It will pass and evaporate into thin air. Thoughts give you a window into what your perception of the world is and how you perceive the world perceives you.

Thoughts are much more complex than how I described them. Thoughts ultimately human objects. They can differentiate in length and complexity, and often with 7 billion people on this world, some thoughts are shared. However, every thought is unique. A personality projects itself onto an individual thought. The point I'm trying to make is that thoughts are representative of us as a person as a society as a whole. While there are many things we think of that we wish not to happen, they produce a small glimpse into our personal inner workings. Sort of a mental checkup into our health.

As humans, the main difference between us and the other animals that inhabit the Earth is that we possess the ability to create and expand thoughts. Other animals can feel pain and touch, but they do not have the ability to think on a grand scale. The benefits of thought are without saying. Cats and dogs will never invent modern societies. Dolphins will never colonize the land. We, humans, are the unchallenged rulers of our species.

Within out complex society, many ideological exist. In the case of thought, ignorance is often represented the enemy of thought. To some, the state of not thinking actively is depriving oneself of human life. Ignorance is also associated with many unpleasant human traits; nastiness, ugliness, genuine stupidity. On the topic of stupidity, ignorance is often a choice and not something born with. The most scholarly challenged among us can achieve higher state of knowledge with work. For the people who despise ignorance, I would say they see ignorance as a sign of weakness, of unwillingness to face issues.

Thought itself is plagued with issues. The problem with complex thought is that when you receive the emotions of joy and satisfaction, you also inherit the other side of the coin. Many people suffer from depression and anger throughout most of their lives. For some, it's specific triggers, such as a memory, that sets off intense emotional reactions. For others, emotions are associated with people, and social events then turn into triggers. Emotions invade all parts of the mental and psychical body.

When we look at our current day society, it is easy to drown in the ocean of loss displayed by the media. The one way road of news would certainly depress people. Life is not without its tragedies, but people react in different ways. Some people are hardened by struggle, while some collapse under pressure. It all depends on the person.

To get back to the question: is thought a burden? Depends who you ask. As a human being I can respect anyone who removes him/herself from thought. Some people do not want both sides of humanity. They would rather lived blind than see the full picture. The beauty of humanity however is that we always have a choice of what we think, while everything else can be controlled. This is why I encourage people to think because your brain is the one true place where you can do something with no consequences.