Life, as we know it
I've come to realize I talk about death a lot. The finality of death gives it significance beyond what I might attribute to any other event in life. If we change the world forever, it will pale in comparison to the ultimate nonexistance of a person as they move on into the next world.
Today we'll be talking about living conditions and how great they are. Not only for Americans--or first world citizens--but for the world at large. Mostly. Not exclusively. Definitely questionably.
We come from a history of species that were enamored with slavery. Whites, blacks, yellows, oranges--every race has been slave to another race at some point. Thinking about it, I don't know of any single culture that has avoided being a slave in its entirety of existence. Turks, English, French, Italians. Everyone's been a slave.
Today's world is a bit different. Far-be-it from a perfect world, there is still slavery today. But it's a secret. Nobody talks about it openly, at least not in regions where it exists (I'm eyeing you, New York). Abroad this may be different, but I do not know. The point is, however, that generally, slavery has taken a wayside in favor of tyranny or, if we're lucky, democracy. This begs the question, however: if we were once slaves, could we do it again?
Having given a taste of life that is completely, 100% under our own control, could we as a society become slaves once more? There is a certain appeal to being a slave, I feel. The lack of options is almost comforting. Knowing it is in somebody's interest to keep you alive--as long as you don't cause too much trouble--has a certain level of romanticism to it. I recently read that slave masters had higher rates of suicide than slaves themselves, a testament, perhaps, to the bliss that goes into a life of labor and (hopefully) family. To have ones' life dictated for them with no possible alternatives.
Perhaps the last three words there is key to the snobbery we sometimes observe in the aristocratic progeny who make it to Law School just to figure out they don't want to be lawyers; or through Med school to find out they would rather drill for oil. It's not that they were forced into the profession, but rather they resent being forced into the profession because they were so close to having the option--and indeed, likely did if they had cared about challenging the status quo--but chose not to exercise it. If there had never been a retrospective illusion of choice, if those who were sent to Med school truly were sent there without consultation, as if it were their duty as citizens and children to complete this task--then, I wonder, if would we have less snobby doctors who resent their parents for failing to knock them in the head with a sledgehammer while saying "YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE!"
Perhaps not.
The life we lead is a good one. No, a fantastic one. This is not only the life we do choose, and therefore the life we lead, but it is presumably the life we would choose, given the opportunity.
And if it's not, fix it. You have that choice.
Today we'll be talking about living conditions and how great they are. Not only for Americans--or first world citizens--but for the world at large. Mostly. Not exclusively. Definitely questionably.
We come from a history of species that were enamored with slavery. Whites, blacks, yellows, oranges--every race has been slave to another race at some point. Thinking about it, I don't know of any single culture that has avoided being a slave in its entirety of existence. Turks, English, French, Italians. Everyone's been a slave.
Today's world is a bit different. Far-be-it from a perfect world, there is still slavery today. But it's a secret. Nobody talks about it openly, at least not in regions where it exists (I'm eyeing you, New York). Abroad this may be different, but I do not know. The point is, however, that generally, slavery has taken a wayside in favor of tyranny or, if we're lucky, democracy. This begs the question, however: if we were once slaves, could we do it again?
Having given a taste of life that is completely, 100% under our own control, could we as a society become slaves once more? There is a certain appeal to being a slave, I feel. The lack of options is almost comforting. Knowing it is in somebody's interest to keep you alive--as long as you don't cause too much trouble--has a certain level of romanticism to it. I recently read that slave masters had higher rates of suicide than slaves themselves, a testament, perhaps, to the bliss that goes into a life of labor and (hopefully) family. To have ones' life dictated for them with no possible alternatives.
Perhaps the last three words there is key to the snobbery we sometimes observe in the aristocratic progeny who make it to Law School just to figure out they don't want to be lawyers; or through Med school to find out they would rather drill for oil. It's not that they were forced into the profession, but rather they resent being forced into the profession because they were so close to having the option--and indeed, likely did if they had cared about challenging the status quo--but chose not to exercise it. If there had never been a retrospective illusion of choice, if those who were sent to Med school truly were sent there without consultation, as if it were their duty as citizens and children to complete this task--then, I wonder, if would we have less snobby doctors who resent their parents for failing to knock them in the head with a sledgehammer while saying "YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE!"
Perhaps not.
The life we lead is a good one. No, a fantastic one. This is not only the life we do choose, and therefore the life we lead, but it is presumably the life we would choose, given the opportunity.
And if it's not, fix it. You have that choice.