In the aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, certain records remained sealed for years. Researchers are only now combing them for insight into the tragedy. It’s hard to imagine the information remaining unavailable for that long today. No doubt Julian Assange would have released it the next day on Wikileaks if he and the Internet were around then.

Formerly, a memoir at the end of one’s life or the discovery of letters after a death allowed time for passions to cool and a more balanced view of an event to emerge before background revelations. Today, what is whispered between two people is shouted from the housetops on the next hour’s newscast. Classified emails, texts, and top secret communications become entertainment on our tablets or phones as we munch breakfast.

News of thousands killed in a storm passes off the radar like a dream on awakening. A terrorist incident is old news the next day, eclipsed by the latest celebrity scandal.

We have gigabytes of information but a scarcity of wisdom. Wisdom requires time for reflection.