It's late, the office has become a minefield, and I've got a sinus
infection that will not quit - however . . . . just once quick thought
on Mike's really elegant analogy concerning the travel of humanity into
the future.
> One day I was talking with a colleague about an idea that had come
> to me in the course of my teaching on the topic. I had the idea
> that human beings, unable to experience the future directly, should
> be thought of as walking backwards, holding hands with their neighbors,
> straining to turn their heads, while chattering with those around
> them about what was happening, what had just happened, what was
> coming up.
Now there is a profound wisdom caught up on this vision and yet, you
wouldn't get clue that this is what we are really facing when it comes to
the future. On the contrary, in many respects, people seem more
confident about that the future will look like, than they can remember
about the past.
Certainly, there is one important element in this analogy that is missing
- fear. If most people really understood how uncertain their future was
- they'd never get out of bed. At the same time, this unfortunately
takes us back to that economic unfriendly business. People don't pause
on New Year's Eve and ponder the uncertain work they live in - they get
completely drunk and escape from it . . keeping the liquor industry well
oiled.
Perhaps civilization would grind to a halt if people were really forced
to face the future backward. It doesn't surprise me that Indian
traditions would find this far more natural. Perhaps that says a lot
about our natural place in the universe.
Peace, Edouard
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| Edouard Lagache, PhD |
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