Some Say Big Brother is Here

"Big Brother is here say many Americans" reads the headline from an article I found in the newspaper the other day. It goes on to say that sales of the George Orwell book, 1984 written in 1949 have gone up recently, probably as people find parallels between their current existence and the story in the book. If you haven't yet read it I highly suggest it, as it is an amazing and thought provoking book, with huge foresight of the different possibilities for a future. Now in my opinion Aldous Huxleys book Brave New World written in 1931 has a greater possibility of eventually playing out in real life. What an amazing book written about a future where everyone is genetically engineered in test tubes to be of a certain caste and job. And everyone is happy. And if your not happy, you take a government approved drug to give you happiness. Anyways, there is a lot more to it and it remains one of my favorite all time books. A third book worth checking out while we are on the subject is Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury in 1953. In this book since the world in the future is built fireproof firemen are no longer needed to put out fires. Instead they now start fires, and their job is to burn books, and any houses they are contained in, down. Instead of books everyone has whole wall televisions, the poor have one wall TV, while the rich have all four walls turned into TVs. And the favorite show everyone watches is an interactive soap opera that talks to you and uses your name and involves you in the plot. Anyways, another great read, and in my opinion a good look at another potential future that awaits us all.

Those Barren Leaves

I'm working my way through another one of Aldous Huxley's books called Those Barren Leaves. It's already turning out to be a great book; about a rich lady living in an old mansion in Italy. I love how he always weaves his philosophies into his stories! This book was first published in 1925! Here is an excerpt from it that made me chuckle.

"For those who cannot dispense with formularies and fixed prayers, I recommend this little catechism, to be read through in the office hours whenever time hangs a little heavy.
Q. Why am i working here?
A. In order that Jewish stockbrokers may exchange their Rovers for Armstrong-Siddeleys, buy the latest jazz records and spend the week-end at Brighton.
Q. Why do I go on working here?
A. In the hope that I too may some day be able to spend the week-end at Brighton
Q. What is progress?
A. Progress is stockbrokers, more stockbrokers and still more stockbrokers.
Q. What is the aim of social reformers?
A. The aim of social reformers is to create a state in which every individual enjoys the greatest possible amount of freedom and leisure.
Q. What will the citizens of this reformed state do with their freedom and leisure?
A. They will do, presumably, what the stockbrokers do with these things to-day, e.g. spend the week-end at Brighton, ride rapidly in motor vehicles and go to the theatre.
Q. On what condition can I live a life of contentment?
A. On the condition that you do not think.
Q. What is the function of newspapers, radios, cinemas, motor-bikes, jazz bands, etc?
A. The function of these things is the prevention of thought and the killing of time. They are the most powerful instruments of human happiness.
Q. What did Buddha consider the most deadly of the deadly sins?
A. Unawareness, Stupidity.
Q. And what will happen if I make my self aware, if I actually begin to think?
A. Your swivel chair will turn into a trolley on the mountain railway, the office floor will gracefully slide away from beneath you and you will find yourself launched into the abyss."


It goes on, but I think that quote really captures a problem with society that was obviously prevalent enough 85 years ago that Aldous would comment on it in one of his books and is still 100% relevant today!!

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley. My new favorite author! I started with a Brave New World and since then I've started his other book, The Perennial Philosophy. Brave New World is a great fictional story that was written in the 1930's. He wrote about what he thought the future would be like in 700 years, well only about 70 years later a lot of what he was predicting is already coming to fruition! In the 40's his opinions changed since he had written the book so instead of rewriting it, he revisited it. He wrote an additional 8 chapters describing what he would of changed or added in the book had he written in later in life. Although I enjoyed the book, and the theory's he puts forth in it, I enjoyed his revision even more! There you get to hear his personal thought on what the world is like, was like, and could be like, if we don't start changing our ways. It might be the most important book ever written for people to read, in my opinion.

What are some of the things that happen in the book??? Well, for one: no one breeds anymore. Everyone is born in a test tube and they only birth what they need. So there is no more over population. And sex is free and open for everyone. Everyone has sex with everyone. Because there are no mothers or fathers, boyfriends or girlfriends or siblings, jealously is an emotion people don't feel. A lot of negative emotions have been removed from society, in this utopia. And there are different classes of people that are breed. Alphas, betas , deltas, gammas etc... And from birth they are conditioned to want to be their caste, and not any other. Sayings like " Alphas work to hard, you don't want to be an alpha, and Deltas dress ugly(each caste dresses differently), you are so happy you are a beta." are repeated 1000's of times while they sleep. And if any negative feelings arise they have invented a drug Huxley calls "Soma" that has no harmful side effects. And in small doses you feel happy, medium doses you see things, and large doses it puts you into a blissful sleep like vacation for as long as you want. The perfect drug to make sure society is always happy.