5 ms·
> The extreme fragility of human culture, civilization. A man becomes a beast in three weeks, given heavy labor, cold, hunger, and beatings. I remember hearing
by deepsun 8y ago
> The extreme fragility of human culture, civilization. A man becomes a beast in three weeks, given heavy labor, cold, hunger, and beatings.
I remember hearing that from some Czech artist -- he said it was very surprising to see that all the civilized culture we have can be wiped out in just two weeks. What's so bad in stealing, lying, raping, murdering for food?
He learned to respect that fragile balance of culture we built over animal human nature.
- taneq 8y ago“There are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy” - Alfred Henry Lewis
- quickthrower2 8y agoIf you have a 3 year old: "There is only 1/2 a meal between mankind and anarchy"
- Jaruzel 8y agoAfter reading the article, I needed that laugh. Thanks! :)
- trashtester 8y agoI have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old. 1/2 a meal or even a meal is just a situation that requires actual parenting. But the shift from the norm (the stress) is enough to give a faint idea about what a serious situation hunger can be. Experiencing actual starvation, especially in your children, potentially even deaths of family members by starvation, now that is real hell. Such experiences change people permanently. If a population experiences this, it is very commonly followed by war within their lifetimes. Without the hunger caused by hyperinflation in Germany in the early 20's, I serioulsy doubt that they would have followed Hitler. It may even be that Hitler would never have become the monster he was without that period.
- vackosar 8y agoI wonder if some parts of the brain shutdown when you are lacking sleep and are hungry. UPDATE: There is a study: http://www.mc3cb.com/pdf_articles_interest_physiology/2012_4_10_Stress_Shut_%20Down_Brain.pdf http://www.mc3cb.com/pdf_articles_interest_physiology/2012_4...
- pretendscholar 8y ago> stealing, lying, raping, murdering for food? One of those doesn't seem conducive to obtaining food.
- ptaipale 8y agoPerhaps it does, if you remember that rape is not necessarily about sex, but about violence and power.
- pretendscholar 8y agoI think power is higher on the hierarchy of needs than food.
- antpls 8y agoI think the parent's point is that power allows you to secure food in the future.
- pretendscholar 8y agoHow?
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- brobdingnagians 8y agoI remember watching the Twilight Zone episode about the man with the bomb shelter whose neighbors laughed at him until the air raid sirens went off, then almost killed him. I think it applies to a lot of people in a lot of situations. When times are easy, the vast majority of people go along and get along, but it is in very difficult circumstances where you find out who your friends are. There are a lot of people in the world who would become very selfish in difficult circumstances, but that doesn't prove that _everyone_ would do so. It is truly amazing to see those few who would go through anything and be loyal to ideals.