The illusion of life

[Dracula]

Why is life always not what the people expect it to be ? The humanity has often made plans and expectations that should theorethically better human life. In fact however it isn't. For example the modern advantages and lifestyle. We are easier to do everything. But then, there is a total scale increase of anti-social feelings, loneliness, autism(enclosure in itself with little care for others), hate, neuroses, social disphoria, etc. In other words the society is more and more ill. Do we destroy the what is human nature (so it reacts painfully) ?!

Why ? Why doesn't it become better ?!

[Belgian General]

We can always aim to improve, but making our society reaching perfection is impossible on planet Earth at the moment because the average human is associal, ignorant, greedy and on the average a total dickhead. I had the same discussion on another forum a little while back which turned out interesting, and I'll see if I can find it and quote some of them.

[Dracula]

the average human is on the average a total dickhead.

Intelligent humanism.

[Jams79]

Would you rather spend all your waking hours working, die young and unfulfilled or discover the wonderful world of neuroses and have some fun sometimes.

[Dracula]

Would you rather spend all your waking hours working, die young and unfulfilled or discover the wonderful world of neuroses and have some fun sometimes.

You mean that it is a necessary result of good life ? Exactly what I question - is it a necessary result or smth is wrong ? Also "to spend your waking hours working and die young and unsatisfied" is hardly an idea of a traditional life.

[Bovril]

Would you rather spend all your waking hours working, die young and unfulfilled or discover the wonderful world of neuroses and have some fun sometimes.

You assume that in hunter gatherer societies humans spent all their waking hours working. This is demonstrably not the case. In fact many hunter gatherer societies have four hour work days, varying slightly with the time of year and the tasks of the day (hunting can be a very involved affair). Normal people's work days increased enormously with the advent of the agricultural and then industrial revolutions. We only started to recover from that at the advent of the twentieth century, when the five day week was made law in industrialised countries and other working hours limitations were legislated. However, since the late 70s, in the anglophone world hours have actually been getting longer.

[Ummon]

The secret lesson of life is that the exceptional human is on the average a total dickhead too.

[Jams79]

I didn't mean to imply it was necessary. To the grand majority of people that would be considered a traditional life - no medicine, hard labour, no luxuries etc...

[Jams79]

I stand corrected, I was actually referring to agricultural societies.

[Otsman]

Why is life always not what the people expect it to be ? The humanity has often made plans and expectations that should theorethically better human life. In fact however it isn't. For example the modern advantages and lifestyle. We are easier to do everything. But then, there is a total scale increase of anti-social feelings, loneliness, autism(enclosure in itself with little care for others), hate, neuroses, social disphoria, etc. In other words the society is more and more ill. Do we destroy the what is human nature (so it reacts painfully) ?!

Why ? Why doesn't it become better ?!

smoke some mary-jane


i can't even describe it to you, basically it just tears down your ego along with anyone with you



trust me, all your questions will be answered



I fear not the rath of the ban-hammer!

[Dracula]

Gees that's a good answer. But hell,what ban-hammer ? We must express ourselves,don't we ? This site is as decayed as life is

[Dracula]

Somebody here spoke about nomad and agricultural societies. But I did not wish to go that far back. I was watching movies and reportages from the 1960s. Suddenly I was struck comparing the faces to these you can see today on TV. People look so much more relaxed.... And on the contrary, there's something intense in general in the faces of the people today. :hmmm: And as if it is going to become more intense.

[Jams79]

Somebody here spoke about nomad and agricultural societies. But I did not wish to go that far back. I was watching movies and reportages from the 1960s. Suddenly I was struck comparing the faces to these you can see today on TV. People look so much more relaxed.... And on the contrary, there's something intense in general in the faces of the people today. :hmmm: And as if it is going to become more intense.

Maybe it's because education leads to cynicism. Or is that just me being a cynic?

[Playfishpaste]

Better education shouldn't lead to cynicism, otherwise it's not good education. Cynicism is like basic algebra for philosophy, the kiddie stuff.

Society isn't failing, I'd say it's doing quite well for itself, you must remember that those flaws that you pointed out are only a minority of people, the general public is satisfied because the general public doesn't take much to be satisfied. You have the commoners, the exceptional, and the rulers, the rulers must cater to the commoners and then the society does fine, with the exceptional losing but since they are the minority it doesn't matter.

[Justice and Mercy]

Why is life always not what the people expect it to be ? The humanity has often made plans and expectations that should theorethically better human life. In fact however it isn't. For example the modern advantages and lifestyle. We are easier to do everything. But then, there is a total scale increase of anti-social feelings, loneliness, autism(enclosure in itself with little care for others), hate, neuroses, social disphoria, etc. In other words the society is more and more ill. Do we destroy the what is human nature (so it reacts painfully) ?!

Why ? Why doesn't it become better ?!

I assure you, our ancestors were worse by your standards than we are.

[Jams79]

I didn't mean education in the sense of ... education ... I meant education in the sense of awareness (best example is our constant bombardment of depressing as sin news stories and reality shows). I apologise for my complete inability to transfer thoughts from head to screen.

[roy34543]

Returning to hunter-gatherer societies is not only impossible, even if it were youd probably be misreable because of diseases.

[Strattios]

Most reasons why some of the things we do to better ourselves socially and how were are organized fail to work is based on one fact. Impractical idealism. Many people (such as politicians) don't fully understand how things work. They tend to assume that because the goal is put forth that it must therefore be attainable. These will continue to rise in frequency as societies become less oriented on maintaining necessities and more concerned with bettering things. Tough decisions and actions made through necessity are more fulfilling than ones based on lofty ideals as there is an actual threat that has been remedied. It is also, practically speaking, a lot easier to to achieve necessity than ideology. Put it this way; "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime". It is important to avoid the politically successful idea of handing people money and to instead focus on providing them a way to better themselves and to allow them to provide for themselves.

[Dracula]

It is important to avoid the politically successful idea of handing people money and to instead focus on providing them a way to better themselves and to allow them to provide for themselves.

Yeah but what if in the process of bettering we become like machines in an environment of ever increasing demands ? In which our bodies and minds do not resist ? For example having to travel 1 hour to any place you need to go in a big city exausts your energy and makes you apathetic(apathia). When this accumulates with years... And also the necessity to study more and more things a result of this bettering. We actually become stupid as a whole for the sake of a storage of technically necessary information.

I do not advocate any going back to pre-modern society,but look for example a mobile phone. It has a radio,internet and what not (just don't touch the camera,I love it ) But you can freely pass without the other features. That's just one example of elaborated thing that has practically no meaning and takes our time depraving us of more important things.

And then in the end, as a result of this overburdening with little usefull things that we can't excape we are in a trap to loose all our time for them. Then come the neuroses and all this.

We start caring about petty things and loose the main line I am afraid. As a result the human being reacts with headaches and psychotic flora.

As there was written somewhere "a man from any XIX century country transferred to life today would think he sees a society of children or imbecils". The only escape from all this is stupidity..
..or carelessness

[Jams79]

Don't forget the variety lacking diet, lack of all luxuries including decent clothes, heating/air con etc...