Phil Graham made a tangential remark that I think deserves actually =
our central attention:
>We now have the highest rate of suicide in the western world among young
>people. Speculations are rife about why this is so.
We do not have a smoke gun exactly, but there is a study that makes a =
very broad indictment. I don't have the exact reference handy, but a =
group studied the rate of depression of US immigrants coming from =
rural areas outside the United States. The results where stunning. =
The immigrants had twice the rates of depression compared to their =
fellow villages who stayed in the country. Moreover, the risk of =
depression increased with exposure to modern life. The rate of =
depression increased the longer a person stayed in the United States.
Now this study offers a good control group. Also as I recall, the =
study period was long enough to rule out the depression as a sort of =
"homesick" longing. What is suggests is that modern life is =
hazardous to our healths. Suicide is one obvious if drastic remedy. =
However, violence, stress, relationship difficulties, =
employee-burnout, and even real medical problems such as migraines =
and immune system disorders can be perhaps traced to what amounts to =
an allergic reaction to our modern world.
For all the hype about post-modernism, I doubt we'll actually see it =
before the second coming of Christ. We still live the "modern" world =
and suffer from the same flawed optimism that characterize modernity. =
Thus, it is no surprise that we apply various bandaids to phenomena =
like family violence, road rage, suicide, and perhaps the best =
example of all: depression. Once we make the conceptual leap of =
depression, etc. as an allergy, then a very different diagnosis, =
treatment, and prognosis emerges. The best cure for any allergy is =
to remove the irritating substance.
Now if any of you budding entrepreneur types has plans for a =
"Modernity filter" - You'll be relieving the world all the way to the =
bank! Realistically however, as a society, we need to confront =
Modernity as a whole - try to understand what makes it hostile to =
human life, and actively take steps to blunt the irritants as much as =
possible. It will take strong government intervention and lot of =
experimentation. The French attempt to cut the work week to 37 hours =
is I think precisely the sorts of things to try. However, quibbling =
about which institution is more evil really utterly misses the point. =
Basically all of human life is stuck in a valley underneath a huge =
dam - with *LOTS* of leaks. I can't just fix one leak - we've got to =
go after them all!
Peace, Edouard
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Edouard Lagache, PhD
Webmaster - Lecturer
Information Technologies
U.C. San Diego, Division of Extended Studies
Voice: (619) 622-5758, FAX: (619) 622-5742
email: elagache who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu
:...................................................................:
: In the end there would be no answers except for man=B9s power to =
:
: endure his own folly :
: John Sharnik, _World War I_, 1964 :
:...................................................................: