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Interesting that you bring up Huxley. I thought he warned against people distracting themselves to the point of functional disempowerment with mass media trivia

by sho 17y ago

Interesting that you bring up Huxley. I thought he warned against people distracting themselves to the point of functional disempowerment with mass media trivialities, which is exactly what this kind of thing is. "I do, deeply." There must be a 50-year-old woman living somewhere within a few minutes' walk of your current location - go ask them, then.

onreact-com 17y ago
In case you refer to Huxley's most known work, Brave New World the people in that story where emotionless hedonistic creatures obsessing with sports, sex with many partners and hierarchy, being an a+ was all the rage. Being emotional was a trait considered as crazy.
- biohacker42 17y ago
  I think being in deep and true relationships was discouraged, but shallow stuff like sex/sports/etc was encouraged. The criticism that this is exactly the shallow type is valid, imho.
blhack 17y ago
I'm talking about Huxley's most famous work, Brave New World. I sounds like you haven't read it. I really suggest that you do, it is a fantastic, albeit frighteningly accurate (seriously drug companies, soma? you named your anti-anxiety medication SOMA!?!?), peak into the future.
- Alex3917 17y ago
  "seriously drug companies, soma? you named your anti-anxiety medication SOMA!?!?" You do realize the name doesn't come from Brave New World right?
  - blhack 17y ago
    The drug does almost exactly the same thing as the one in the book. I cannot imagine that this was done just out of pure, random chance.
- sho 17y ago
  I've read it, but I don't agree with your interpretation. The society in the book discourages love and attachment - this isn't love, it's just cheap entertainment. It's "Your Favourite Childhood Stars - Where Are They Now?" with a paper thin excuse. Admit it, if the girl wasn't a cute, white cherub no-one would care.
cesare 17y ago
I've read and upvoted the parent post first. But I think you're right. Truly caring and sensitive people are becoming rare these days and it's not easy to identify the main causes. But I think mass media are to blame, at least partly, for the commercialization of people private lives. It is so deeply hardwired in our psyche that even on the web this (commercializing our own self) has become almost a requirement for success.
- enomar 17y ago
  "Truly caring and sensitive people are becoming rare these days" I doubt people are essentially any different today. The way we communicate is different though. It's much easier to be insensitive when everyone is anonymous. It now takes a conscious effort to always treat people as if they were standing right in front of you. There are communities on the web that get this -- and that's where I try to hang out.

by sho 17y ago

onreact-com 17y ago

In case you refer to Huxley's most known work, Brave New World the people in that story where emotionless hedonistic creatures obsessing with sports, sex with many partners and hierarchy, being an a+ was all the rage. Being emotional was a trait considered as crazy.

biohacker42 17y ago
I think being in deep and true relationships was discouraged, but shallow stuff like sex/sports/etc was encouraged. The criticism that this is exactly the shallow type is valid, imho.

blhack 17y ago

I'm talking about Huxley's most famous work, Brave New World. I sounds like you haven't read it. I really suggest that you do, it is a fantastic, albeit frighteningly accurate (seriously drug companies, soma? you named your anti-anxiety medication SOMA!?!?), peak into the future.

Alex3917 17y ago
"seriously drug companies, soma? you named your anti-anxiety medication SOMA!?!?" You do realize the name doesn't come from Brave New World right?
- blhack 17y ago
  The drug does almost exactly the same thing as the one in the book. I cannot imagine that this was done just out of pure, random chance.
sho 17y ago
I've read it, but I don't agree with your interpretation. The society in the book discourages love and attachment - this isn't love, it's just cheap entertainment. It's "Your Favourite Childhood Stars - Where Are They Now?" with a paper thin excuse. Admit it, if the girl wasn't a cute, white cherub no-one would care.

cesare 17y ago

I've read and upvoted the parent post first. But I think you're right. Truly caring and sensitive people are becoming rare these days and it's not easy to identify the main causes. But I think mass media are to blame, at least partly, for the commercialization of people private lives. It is so deeply hardwired in our psyche that even on the web this (commercializing our own self) has become almost a requirement for success.

enomar 17y ago
"Truly caring and sensitive people are becoming rare these days" I doubt people are essentially any different today. The way we communicate is different though. It's much easier to be insensitive when everyone is anonymous. It now takes a conscious effort to always treat people as if they were standing right in front of you. There are communities on the web that get this -- and that's where I try to hang out.