I have noticed many times how completely our view of the world depends upon our beliefs and our emotions. Like Shakkerspeard said: There is nothing good or bad, only thinking makes it so.
For instance I have heard songs and read stories about the falling of the Berlin wall that made it seem like a sad thing (or at least melancholic)! How bizarre is this?
And read this excerpt from a 1997 interview with one of my favorite authors, William Gibson:
"One that I've noticed just in the last month is that because of the Internet and the World Wide Web, in effect, the world's attic is being sorted. It's being sorted with a speed and precision that would have been impossible ten or fifteen years ago. The whole concept of rarities and random finds is disappearing very, very quickly. Every book in every used book shop on the planet will be accessible to a search engine soon.
And there's something horribly sad about that."
All human culture is becoming available to all humans, and he thinks this is sad! This is just so wrong-headed I throw my hands up in despair.
O sure, I understand that he feels nostalgia for the pleasure of finding an amazing and rare book by accident or hard work... but William, find some perspective! We are having the most glorious and amazing cultural renaissance in human history!
19 comments:
someone of a melancholic temperment will find almost anything cast in a sad light.
re. the comment on this period being a great renaissance, because of the amazing technological advances, I can't argue. But in many other areas, I wouldn't call our period a renaissance. I think we are actually getting ready to fall apart, at which the real new birth will take place. I just experience so much tension everywhere, and the information superhighway, for all its benefits, can contruibute to our craziness. So much information can be super distracting to the inner life. I don't hearken after "the good old days", but how many people are close to nature these days, and can sit in silence with themselves?
This is a very common perception, but it's not mine, and I don't think there is a lot of evidence for it.
The brightest light casts the hardest shadows.
Thery will possibly be some big scares ahead, like big terrorist attakcs or weird weather, but on the whole I am convinced the 21st will be our greatest one ever, on so many levels.
oh, we're in agreement on the part about great things coming. I'm not a doomsayer. I just feel a "critical mass" of tension built up in the world, I see/feel it among public school teachers where I work, see/feel it everywhere, and in principle, great light is often preceded by a buildup of darkness. Like anything else, the computer can distract us. Hey eolake, have you ever seen George Luca's directorial debut, "THX 1138"? It's a great movie, I just saw it last night. It was done in 1970, thereabouts. It's the whole world turned digital. People can't have sex with each other, they have to be hooked up to a vacuum pump while watching naked dancers.... :)
No, but somebody else already mentioned THX recently, so I better give it a whirl.
"It's the whole world turned digital. People can't have sex with each other, they have to be hooked up to a vacuum pump while watching naked dancers."
You know, that's a scarily accurate description of my life.
I like it though.
lol. Yeah.
bodies are messy:)
I have to admit: the couple in THX 1138 i found extremely .... sexy. Or, attractive. They co-habitated for a long time without having sex, because they were drugged. Both wore identical white jumpsuits, and were bald. She had a beautiful head, a stunning girl. :) So did he, one of my favorite actors, Robert Duval (in his 20's). I'm thinking of going bald myself, I rather like the stark effect. Then, she changed his meds on him, and he "woke up" to his sexual feelings for her, and... well you take it from there. I found the whole scene quite stirring. :)
Laurie
I think we are actually getting ready to fall apart.....
I agree. It's gonna go down in this century.
I just experience so much tension everywhere, and the information superhighway, for all its benefits, can contruibute to our craziness. So much information can be super distracting to the inner life.
True. Too much information at once can become a dangerous thing.
how many people are close to nature these days, and can sit in silence with themselves?
Not many. I see a lot of people walking around like zombies texing each other sitting across from one another! How pathotic and sad.
I just feel a "critical mass" of tension built up in the world, I see/feel it.
Same here. It's as if a fuse is ready to blow. So many are seeking true happiness through money, power, jewelry, cosmic surguries but never seem to find contentment.
bodies are messy:)
Isn't nothing like the real thing. Nothing. We aren't in kansas anymore............sigh.
Pas-Cal hunt plains buffalo with stone spear. Pas-Cal can not hunt buffalo now, because they say "buffalo am endangered". (?!??!? Of course, buffalo in danger, Pas-Cal hunt and kill buffalo! D'uh!)
Them say "Pas-Cal go eat Mak-Do-Nal meat". Them quacks. This am no meat, yuck! Real meat have bones and need teeth bite! Meat run before catch and eat!
Pas-Cal hate this "mo-dern" thingie. How can Pas-Cal hear sabre-tooth tiger in night with brick walls around? Tiger sure come, because no let Pas-Cal make fire near bed. This crazy.
Onga-monga, what pity! Where good old days are go? Bah!
And now, say Pas-Cal must cover tushie if go outside square cave to find woman. One bah! Two bah! Three bah!
When sun rise, Pas-Cal try catch prey with new inter-net gizmo. Father spirits, help Pas-Cal make good catch!
Pas-Cal so hungry for real meat, soon ready to eat them iron horses with tushie on fire. If already cooked and smokey, good-good! Bar-Bee-Quew!!!
Lol, doc, if ever I should fall ill I'll come to your hospital, your jokes and your way to see life would make me healthy without any medicine LOOOLLL. :-)
********
People from both sides were hilarious when the Wall came down, and our western motorways were full of trabbies. It was indeed a miracle when the Wall came down.
Yet not a few Germans nowadays wish the Berlin Wall had never fallen, because the two systems were too different and it's been very hard to convert the Easterners to the Western system.
The Easterners had been cared for by the state, whereas in the West you've got to struggle for yourself to make a living and not all of them can easily adapt to the new system (this was said by a former Easterner, a friend of mine).
Moreover we westerners still have to pay some 2% of our monthly wages into a so-called Fund of Solidarity, which makes many people angry, including me, because it looks like the government will never close the fund.
Miracles sometimes cost.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
I quote this as a reminder to Signalroom and Eolake that when things fall apart, the center does not hold and there is no gaurentee of a new "birth" or "rebirth" or whatever.
I think we are approaching The End, and my one hope is that it happens after I'm dead, or at least when I'm too old to give a damn about it anymore.
Humpty is bigger than his shell.
No fear for Humpty.
Laurie
"Humpty is bigger than his shell."
Perhaps so, but the shell is there for a reason, and while some believe he could exist in some form(?) without it, I am not among them.
Miracles sometimes cost.
Monsier Beep, are the people in Germany happy about the eastern folk uniting? Just curious. I've also heard that Germany has a strong economy? Is this so?
I'd like to visit your country one day. My grandfather had a lot of German blood in him. My brother got to visit your country a couple of times and told me the people were gracious and the cities very pleasant.
Kenneth, you're too pessimistic. The world is not an egg. Its core has much more consistency and cohesive power than a yolk in a shell. Besides, according to your song, the dumb king tried to fix things with... his ARMY! Sounds familiar? ;-)
People were far more into your attitude when WW2 was going on. "These were dark times indeed." And yet look what happened afterwards. Stability returned. The Cold War couldn't last. Nuclear holocaust never happened and most likely never will. Japan stood up from two atomic strikes and the total crumbling of an age-old System. Germany became a prosperous and leading country once more. Never again will the Jews face global extermination.
Every era has its problems, its challenges. We only lose if we give up trying. This is a constant, my friend.
Here in the Middle-East, we have to be lucid about it, things look very glum for the long term. But it won't be "THE End". Wide scale wars have always existed. They end the lives of many, and then things start anew, life reclaims its rights. If it's not a nuclear winter, spring will always follow!
I believe the first step of defeat is in giving up voting. In free countries, it is a very precious power. Which will become invincible if backed by enough wisdom and knowledge.
And guess what? Wisdom and knowledge are gaining ground. Slowly, it seems, but steadily. This is not the beginning of the End. This is just the end ot the latest Beginning to date. End and Beginning are everywhere, every second. Heads up, and look around. Look well. It's there.
Have faith. Faith in our world. Faith in YOU.
Nobody's insignificant.
Pascal, your view is not only optimistic, but it hits the point in so many ways. It's been wonderful to read. Certainly written by a very wise man.
Terry, generally speaking, people are happy to be united. But there are a few downsides, unimployment especially in the east is high, and there might be a higher tendency to neonacism there. News of assaults of foreign-looking residents by east German youths never stop.
Pleased to hear you're planning to visit Germany Terry. All districts of the country are beautiful, and people are nice. I especially like the Eastern districts, Mosel valley, Bodensee, the East Frisians (= North Sea Islands), to name just a few.
Germany has a strong economy, and the social standard of living is high. Yet we're living in a global community and it'll take some effort to compete with the fellow peoples especially in Asia and India. Our Chancellor Angela Merkel seems to know what our place in the future of the world community should be, and she's acting accordingly as the current EU president (Ratspräsident). She's a trained physicist, by the way.
Tschüssi ;-)
I believe the first step of defeat is in giving up voting. In free countries, it is a very precious power. Which will become invincible if backed by enough wisdom and knowledge.
Pascal, you still touch me with your words. So many here in America don't even bother to vote. Very sad indeed.
Yet other countries would love the opportunity to do so. I wish for you that same privilege, honestly.
Do you ever think about coming to America to live and practice medicine? To become a citizen? I know you must love your country and have the compassion for people because of your profession. (It takes a special somebody to do the things you do and to keep your spirit high.)
If I'm out of line please forgive me? It's just that when I read your words you seem so American in your beliefs. (Voting, loving Christ, loving your neighbor and so forth.) Not that other countries don't already do that you understand what I mean?
If you ever did that, I would recommend you to any of my friends and neighbors. I respect you not only because of your profession but because of your endearing love for mankind and peace, not to mention your funny side :)
I'm glad you are my friend.
Beep,
Compliments will get you everywhere. :-)
I love sharing this wisdom. Any other way, it would be sterile.
Terry said...
"Do you ever think about coming to America to live and practice medicine? To become a citizen?"
It is always a possibility, of course. And many Lebanese easily go to live in Canada or Australia. But don't worry too much about that : I have French citizenship since birth (I vote too, of course), so if the needlework unravels here, I won't be "left in the street". I'm already okay for the United States of Europe. ;-) Thank you for the concern.
"It's just that when I read your words you seem so American in your beliefs."
Hey, if the universal values I try to live by sound American to you, then do call me American! :-)
The U.S. are very poorly considered in the world today, but I *know* this country always had, and still has, immense potential. Unique. And the means to fulfill it if the will follows.
American pride not dead. Just looking for second wind right now. ;-)
Optimism is not only a philosophy of life to me. It is also a goal in life. Makes it more pleasant, and can be happily married with Lucidity. They might call their first child Happiness, with some luck.
My professional future is somehow at a turning point currently. I'll keep you informed. My friend(s).
Hey, if the universal values I try to live by sound American to you, then do call me American! :-)
Yes Pascal, I will call you an American with great values. I do feel ashamed that our President has caused such a brutal illegal aggression agaisn't Iraq and I hope you know that not all of us (Americans) agree with his foreign policies. I am one of 55 million.
Thank you for the concern. Pascal said.
Pascal you are "more" than welcome. You are a true man among "men."
American pride not dead. Just looking for second wind right now. ;-)
Thank you Pascal for these words. I don't want the world to hate all of us Americans because of one man and his wreckless murdering sprees.
I'd rather have peace......not war. War just hardens the hearts of many. You can't force your will on anybody no matter how much you believe in your ideas. The people of other nation has got to want "it."
I'll keep you informed. My friend.
Thank you Pascal because I do care about your saftey and welfare :)
Pleased to hear you're planning to visit Germany Terry. All districts of the country are beautiful, and people are nice. I especially like the Eastern districts, Mosel valley, Bodensee, the East Frisians (= North Sea Islands), to name just a few.
Monsieur Beep,
Thank you for your response. I enjoyed reading it. I do look forward to seeing your beautiful country someday :)
Blessing to you sir :)
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