I'm constantly surprised at how obedient/passive humans generally are.
So I've been going through an existential crisis of sorts for the past ~3 years. Travel / distractions can only do so much to placate my quirky observations on the human condition. Darker mental explorations have included questioning the possible benefits of genetic modification, selective genocide, and whether what we constitute as a "crime" could actually be completely misguided and leading to our own (eventual) demise.
I toured the Bordeaux region in my (long term) rental car today. On the way back to my apartment, I stopped by a Monoprix (the french supermarket) to grab some crepes, and saw a manager going full send criticizing an employee in the backroom. Yelling, berating, etc. And it got me thinking, why does the worker simply take this bullshit? Why doesn't he bludgeon the manager to death (or permanent diability) with a meat cleaver? (or said more politely, what's preventing him from doing so?) Maybe I'm still in New York time (early morning here), but nonetheless, it's a valid philosophical thought.
I can understand what drives small business owners, doctors, higher-level white collar workers, and politicians -- they all engage in daily activities that directly benefit themselves/their ego. In other words, they are the boss of themselves. They have full discretion and/or control of their actions (and the consequences likewise).
However, whenever I go out to eat, a bar for drinks, the car dealer for an oil change, etc etc, I'm amazed at how compliant people are. They mostly take orders / follow instructions without a nary of pushback. They clearly do not enjoy their job. Do they genuinely believe their time/life is worth less than $20/hour? Stating the obvious here, but all humans live for roughly the same amount of years give or take (so it's not like the minimum wage worker can live until 300 years old, thus making it "worthwhile" from an aggregate, total lifetime earning sense).
In my previous philosophy studies, I remember coming across the (possible) answer:
The human ability to internalize anticipatory fear.
You cannot scare sheep into growing more wool, or donkeys to pull the plough faster. Yes, you can spur momentary increases in output by whipping etc, but that is epemeral in nature. It (along with most animals) cannot internalize the fear of death. Humans are unique in this regard.
Yes, some more amateur philosophers will argue that "money is the reason". Yes, it's a means, but not the end. The end (again) is the anticipation or FEAR of a negative outcome.
With bright smiles (and politically correct, "feel good" corporate bullshit), humans have realized they can completely control other humans. Again, with 100% smiles and "friendliness". No momentary fear injection is necessary, as (again), our anticipatory fear (of death/starvation/ostracization/incarceration) is (perhaps) the strongest emotion keeping us in check, on par with jealousy. One can argue this is because humans are "smarter" than animals. Well in that case, it must a sweet tasting poison, as bigger brains have subjugated most low earnings humans to a life of slavery.
So in the grand scheme of things, as the capitalists we are, the compliant human is something we should savor and protect. For without such people, shareholder returns would disappear overnight.
Yes, we know.
comment of the year for me
ahahahahaha full fucking send
pretty crazy
I went full send once. I was gone. Done. Sent.
This reads like the musings of a 19 year old who finally finished Atlas Shrugged and is convinced it's brilliant.
This is GOLD. MonacoMonkey, you should start a blog!!
I'll be honest, I still think you're weird (although it would be interesting meeting you in person) but have got to say I have respect for someone who doesn't care about getting shat on for their views.
Keep doing your thing man, one day they'll love you for being different and standing on your own two.
SO to be clear, you respect someone who's only goal is shitposting and spending his/her day wishing that someone would type the comment, "OMG you sound just like Patrick Bateman!!!!"
Plus it's clear that this kid clearly doesn't actually behave like this in real life, no sane person does, everyone on here who waxes poetic about "Blah Blah... real purpose.. blah blah... choose my own destiny... blah... free your mind" is just some dude in between jerks on their second screen.
Due to social media, the past 2 decades have shown us how crazy some people are. On this planet of 7bn people, you really believe there can't be anyone who thinks like this?
I have no idea if he's joking or not, but limiting myself to the belief that "people like him don't exist in real life" is not what I'm going to do.
Read Leviathan
It is wise to be thoughtful and selective in one's responses. It is not always healthy to go off in even deserving circumstances. Not healthy for your career, socially or mentally.
That doesn't mean take it in the rear when its undeserving. It means not letting everything get to you as its a long life and you can make a decision to get away from the nut cases. No sense always telling them off when it will only escalate the situation and do you zero good.
I'd highly recommend reading Carl Cohen's "A Conflict of Principles" on the subject of Affirmative Action and the related cases at the University of Michigan. Cohen is a very long term Philosophy prof at Michigan - a self professed liberal. But he very thoughtfully lays out the Michigan case and his stance on not supporting AA. It completely changed my liberal mindset on the subject.
Why is it surprising that people tend to submit to authority/abuse when not doing so would entail either losing their livelihood (i.e. getting fired) or their freedom (i.e. being imprisoned)? What would you expect - for a subordinate to tell his boss to go fuck himself or to shoot someone in the face for cutting in front of you in line at Trader Joe's?
Pretty simple..
These people don't have a choice. They're locked into jobs with terrible bosses because they don't have the luxury to reach out to "recruiters" and say fuck you to their boss. If they were to quit, they'd probably have to become homeless and go without food. It's practically rainbows and sunshine being an autonomous white collar professional in comparison to those who take up the low skill jobs that run our countries.
what you're saying sounds quite similar to slavery. ( it is ) in fact, it's arguably worse, since most don't have the slightest awareness of their own situation.
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." ~Goethe
What can they do about it. Its the way it is.
Some people just like a simple life. I know a lot that are very family oriented and just don't give a shit about their career.
It could also be because they think what they have is great, and probably don't even know what things like Investment Banking are.
fear of retribution, imprisonment, poverty, and a lack of options all engender compliance. It ain't that complicated.
Truth is, most minimum wage jobs performed by teenagers have super high turnover. Replace them with immigrants or working poor adults, and things start to look up. Companies have caught on.
It is self-centered to assume that our behavior is guided only by direct negative consequences. Whilst these aspects do control behavior, we are geared towards cooperation at a more fundamental level than can be explained by these forces alone.
Consider the human race’s position in the food chain – top dog. Why? The obvious answer is our intellect, but the truth is that our intelligence is only as useful as the pack/group/society facilitating it. Without a society around us we are much lower on the food chain, regardless of intelligence. Like many pack animals, our survival is enhanced by cooperation and social structure, which includes hierarchy. The pack performs best when the hierarchy is respected, and worst when things are being challenged. That’s not to say that challenging the hierarchy is bad, as it could lead to a better hierarchy, but the point is that any interruption is transient, and precursor for a new baseline. In contrast, the morality you proposed would lead to perpetual chaos and challenge. At its extreme, society doesn’t exist in this environment.
This is the foundation of many moral dilemmas. The existence of society is valuable to the individual, but in addition to this, some gains of the individual are at detriment to society. It becomes a case of “I would be benefited by X, but if everyone did X we couldn’t function” (X being anything where the agency cost arises). The idea of our legal system, or even our moral and religious systems, is to minimize this agency cost, through the introduction of individual negative consequences to offset the benefits of those engaging in self-interest. I mention moral and religious systems because the negative consequence doesn’t need to be tangible – it can be as simple as guilt for having done the wrong action. My point being, we can identify behavior within a moral framework without a literal and tangible interpretation of consequences. This flows through us at a fundamental level.
I want what you're on lol
Plain and simple, you are at the top of Maslow's pyramid wondering "why" so many people are at the bottom. You grew up wealthy, right? Knowing that you cannot even conceive of what life is like for most people out there... I'm sending my kids to public school.
You're missing the premise.
Yes, I know "why" people are "at the bottom". It's out of objective need for survival, not some desire for fulfillment (to work at McDonalds, etc).
What my original post was referring to was why no one rebels against their predicament. Either using a) homicidal actions to nullify their superiors and/or (alleged) sources of oppression or b) reliquinshing their existence via self annhilation (physical, not melancholic or anomic suicide. refer to Emile Durkeim for further reference).
Is it nature's pressue to procreate? A religious influence? Perhaps a social assumption that it's "bad"? (naturally so, capitalistic societies would collapse should $7/hr workers decide a mass-exodus of sorts).
"Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily." ~Napoleon Bonaparte
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And just as a tip for everyone. In case you ever come across a person about to jump off a bridge/building, never tell them no. It is their right to jump. In fact, an "unassailable right" (~Arthur Schopenhauer). Best to say "well, go ahead and jump. Do it. Now. Or tomorrow. Whenever you'd like." I can bet you they won't jump. As opposed to these ignorant fools (i.e. usually non-suicidal plebes) who try to convince them to not jump. Deadly mistake.
It's tragic, because the only thing keeping severely depressed people alive is fact they know suicide is an option. It is, after all, a positive action (one must choose to do it).
And for the record, perhaps I was born wealthy. But it wasn't my choice, so I cannot be morally faulted.
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