Every time something improves, we lose something else. Take, for example, a person who has been in a wheelchair for years and then starts to walk. Is that a huge improvement? Of course it is! But has he lost something? Perhaps. Maybe he will have less time to read books. Maybe he will lose the ability to understand people in very disadvantaged situations. Maybe he will lose his position in a disability organisation. But none of these perceived or real disadvantages can outweigh the amazing fact that they can walk again.
Why am I po
- The introduction of state pensions stopped old people dying homeless, but we lost the opportunity for younger people to care for their parents.
- Thanks to modern medicine, better nutrition and less strenuous work, dying is no longer a normal part of life. What a pity! How much flatter our view of the world would be if we didn’t live with the knowledge that someone close to us might not be alive tomorrow.
We can even invest in emotional relationships now. - When our lives ceased to be governed by superstition and we gained the ability to solve problems rationally, we lost our fear of the unknown. Is that a loss?
- Emotions and personal attraction began to play a role in marriage. Marriage is no longer the cohabitation of people who are completely indifferent to each other, held together by property. But the price we pay is less stability. Does anyone really want to live in a historical marriage?
I could add dozens and hundreds more.
- And now a famous pop philosopher laments that our lives are no longer shaped by a sense of fear. What a pity! We could have lived in constant fear, but instead we are just a little anxious and we fight it. We even defend ourselves against depression instead of experiencing the depth of depressive spirituality.
Few things are as stupid and superficial as this pseudo-conservative nostalgia. Yes, for every problem solved, a new one arises. But in the vast majority of cases, even with the new problem, the world is a better place. But of course we shouldn’t stop there. We should also look for solutions to the new problems (which may bring more problems). This is what we call progress.