Doing our bit
Rick Knight (rknight@platinum.com)
Fri, 25 Jul 97 11:04:52 CST
Hagbard Celine wrote:
What do other list members think characterizes the current human
condition?
Anders Sandberg replied:
Confusion? Most humans doesn't seem to have any real grasp of what is
going on, or feel they can't effect it.
Rick Knight adds:
I was going to pipe in with apathy but I think confusion probably
leads to apathy because if somethinig is too confounding you just shut
down. For instance, my confusion with how a culture that has a
majority of people subscribing to Judeo-Christian principles (and I
reference that only because those who subscribe are supposed to be
walking the Jesus walk...which is not anything like Church Lady's
Superiority Dance <G>) and enabled with so much prosperity and
technology can't come up with infrastructures to handle
disenfranchisement of an increasing number of stray humans. After
moving to SF, I initially carried a roll of quarters to dole out. It
didn't take long for me to stiffen my gaze straight ahead as I passed
by the shaking paper cup of the drifter or the disoriented mumblings
of the crack head or otherwise mentally ill derilect. I started out
not understanding how there could be so many. Not figuring it out and
not deciding to make it my life quest, I am presently choosing apathy.
I still don't understand. I have rationalized my stand because I have
classified many of them (not including the mentally ill although they
implicitly qualify) as non-contributors.
I say that if you want to be a participant in a culture, you should be
contributing to it, adding value. Although I acknowledge that the
homeless person "adds value" to my life by getting me to pause for
introspection, it's somehow "not enough".
Thoughts on this?
Rick