Adonis Diaries

Since our civilization decided that transport should be faster (railroad infrastructure) and communication much faster (telegraph) in order to increase economic growth, our civilization qualitatively shifted to the shorter-term timeline for plans and programs that is going strong.  Long-term scholars and planners had to accommodate the new philosophy of progress lest they find it difficult to be hired by public and private institutions.  

The future is no longer the goal of any decision; future generations will have to deal with what they inherited and resolve what the past generations lacked in courage and determination to improving the conditions for the coming generations.

Modern man asked the Genie Earth: “I want faster transportation and communication means.  I want to live twice as long; I want to generate the same amount of food and products working twice less per day and per week.”  The Genie obliged all these wishes in less than 20 years with one condition: “Man, I demand that you spare half an hour a day recalling what I gave you and revisiting your wishes.  Think of the next generation’s happiness and sustainable conditions on earth”  (Never mind if the third of earth population, in the poorest States and the most populous States, witnessed a reduction in life expectancy to half what it was a century ago.)

Mankind had no time to ponder and satisfy his part of the deal; mankind neglected all his oaths and responsibilities toward family members, close community, and the needy people.  The modern man said:  “My individual needs and greeds come first and the hell with people around me.  Society is meant to support me and not expect anything in return from my time and energy.  The needs of  society is the responsibility of the State:  Government, public institutions, and public servants are paid to substitute for my previous past responsibilities.”

The French author, Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber, in his  “Too Fast: Why have we become prisoners of short-term reality?” included cartoons at the beginning of each chapter representing the short-term mentality  Here are a few cartoons:

A penguin is saying: “I propose you to edit my manuscript:  It is about the consequences of our obsession for speed.”  Another penguin replies: “Can your manuscript be read quickly?”

“Last summer we visited Mauritania, Senegal, Mali and most of western Africa.  The summer before we toured China, Japan, Vietnam and most of Far East Asia.  I will save you the countless countries we have overflown.”

“Is everything going fine and smoothly?”  The manager penguin replied: “Thanks for your concern:  You have just made us lose half a million.”

“In my youth, enterprises were milking the cows.  That was youth misjudgment:  When I see a cow, I feel such an urge for steaks.”

“No phone calls in the last ten minutes; no e-mails; no SMS.  Am I already dead?”

“Do you think our friendship has a tomorrow?”  The penguin friend replying: “Come on!  You may stay for breakfast, can’t you?”

“What about ecology? How long are you going to break my ears with ecology?”  The penguin replied sheepishly: “Well, I was thinking that may be it is not too late for our grand children to enjoying a sustainable and healthy earth.”  The reply is swift: “What?!  Your grand children are already in voting age?”

For the concluding chapter we have this cartoon.  “I am late for an urgent matter:  I am taking my time for reading an interesting book.”

Speed is no longer related to transportation, communication, and transfer of financial transactions and financial tools.  The most devastating kind of speed is the frequent turnover of new technologies with the accompanying obsolete states of products and services and the habit we got accustomed to.

Last century, within a lifetime, a person was to handle and learn less than 9 new technologies for daily usage and less than three technologies in order to retaining his job.  In the last decades, re-learning new technologies to keeping a job is to be a continuous obsession every two years, lest we are pointed out as dinosaurs.

This century unfolded the capacity of a single operator manipulating monster machines, equipments, and facilities to discard the collective cooperation of the masses of laborers who build gigantic monuments in the antiquity.

Prior to this century, people suffered and endured a lot, but they died young.  Now, we can enjoy all kinds of amenities with less physical pain and suffering, quit to paying it a hundred fold in pain and suffering as we become incapacitated after we retire.

We lack patience and refuse to wait another minute:  The previous models of our tools and computers, still highly functional and valid, are lacking the speed edge and have to be replaced by new performing tools.  Speed is a valueless criteria and we are ready to give half our life and earning for a newer version.  Our brain is a living matter and changes structures when short-time constraints become standard habit:  The earlier the kid accommodates this development the harder for him to accepting the longer-term strategies; the neurons and nerves react negatively when we will to read a longer book or taking leisurely time for in-depth reflection on important future consequences.

We have no time to appraising the consequences of every speed breaking standard.  First, we put the new technology on the market and then we evaluate its consequences on safety and health after complaints and lawsuits accumulate.

The main definition for how short should the term be is: “If I need to reserve time for meditation then, how long this duration can be reduced in order to retaining the same level of benefice?  If I need to exercise every day then, how far can I shorten the set of exercises in order to maintaining the same level of satisfaction?  If I need to set aside time for enjoyable reading then, how short this allocated time can be fruitful?  If I want leisure time or quality time with the family then, how short this period could be in order to keeping quality intact?”

It is in that perspective that continuing education has a satisfying meaning.  If we must fit within the framework of “short-term mania”, at least let us be proficient in making the best of what is short, outside the mentality of quick financial generation of wealth. 

Learning techniques to shorten useful periods for our healthy mental and physical equilibrium are good opportunities for keeping our brain young and healthy.  Learning new techniques every year for just the application of new programs in order to retaining a job is counter productive for a sustainable earth planet and mankind.

Note: For more details refer to my previous article: https://adonis49.wordpress.com/2010/03/22/capitalism-redefines-time/