Civilization is a surrogate activity factory. Language and literature makes people's lives more hollow, less connected, less human, but in exchange, gives them

Civilization is a surrogate activity factory. Language and literature makes people's lives more hollow, less connected, less human, but in exchange, gives them the illusion that they are living principled, meaningful lives, living in caves[1], like brains in a jar. [1]: figuratively speaking. Technically it's what got them out of living in caves, but bear with me here.