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I'm always amazed at how readable and relevant Orwell remains. This essay is a good example. It would seem that human beings are not able to describe, nor perh

by apo 8y ago

I'm always amazed at how readable and relevant Orwell remains. This essay is a good example. It would seem that human beings are not able to describe, nor perhaps to imagine, happiness except in terms of contrast. ... I wonder if this also works in reverse: humans are incapable of describing or imagining unhappiness except in terms of contrast. This reminds me of a line that goes something like: revolutions happen not because of poverty but through the process of a society becoming poorer.

daodedickinson 8y ago
Hmm... I guess I'm not amazed that something written less than 100 years ago seems relevant when Aristophanes is still hilarious.
- ConceptJunkie 8y ago
  Yeah, the human condition, and human nature, aren't exactly changing.
- badcede 8y ago
  Almost nothing from 50 years ago is even remembered, let alone still read, let alone as fresh as Orwell. You make the same point by giving him Aristophanes for company.
empath75 8y ago
> revolutions happen not because of poverty but through the process of a society becoming poorer. I don't think it's the case that most of them start because the society as a whole had become poorer, but because some particular segment has, while others accumulate wealth. It's not really worth having a revolution if there's nothing of value to seize. A lot of revolutions started as tax revolts by the wealthy, in fact -- the french revolution and english civil war come to mind. It was only after central authority collapsed that events outpaced the initial instigators.
- mr_toad 8y ago
  > A lot of revolutions started as tax revolts by the wealthy ‘No taxation without representation!’
squarefoot 8y ago
"This reminds me of a line that goes something like: revolutions happen not because of poverty but through the process of a society becoming poorer." Which is probably why successful oppressive regimes (the ones that don't look as such) boil their frogs very slowly.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

by apo 8y ago

daodedickinson 8y ago

Hmm... I guess I'm not amazed that something written less than 100 years ago seems relevant when Aristophanes is still hilarious.

ConceptJunkie 8y ago
Yeah, the human condition, and human nature, aren't exactly changing.
badcede 8y ago
Almost nothing from 50 years ago is even remembered, let alone still read, let alone as fresh as Orwell. You make the same point by giving him Aristophanes for company.

empath75 8y ago

> revolutions happen not because of poverty but through the process of a society becoming poorer. I don't think it's the case that most of them start because the society as a whole had become poorer, but because some particular segment has, while others accumulate wealth. It's not really worth having a revolution if there's nothing of value to seize. A lot of revolutions started as tax revolts by the wealthy, in fact -- the french revolution and english civil war come to mind. It was only after central authority collapsed that events outpaced the initial instigators.

mr_toad 8y ago
> A lot of revolutions started as tax revolts by the wealthy ‘No taxation without representation!’

squarefoot 8y ago

"This reminds me of a line that goes something like: revolutions happen not because of poverty but through the process of a society becoming poorer." Which is probably why successful oppressive regimes (the ones that don't look as such) boil their frogs very slowly.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]