Killing us softly
(No. 12) Is this making you uncomfortable? + machine wisdom, by Ty Montague and Stephen P. Williams
[Today, Ty is discomfortable and Stephen chats with his new online friend.]
Your brain thinks comfort and convenience are good. “Obvi” might be your first response. But when you dig a little deeper some real questions arise. So grab a snack and swaddle up in your snuggie while I tell you a story.
Our love of comfort and convenience is an ancient feature of our brains that used to be really helpful. But today, this feature is being hacked by companies that definitely don’t have our best interests in mind. In fact, one way to think about the whole consumerist ‘comfort and convenience’ economy, the one now ironically threatening our survival, is that it was designed to exploit this feature of our brains.
Homo Sapiens love of comfort and convenience originally developed in some very uncomfortable and inconvenient times. In 1651, philosopher John Hobbes described life as “nasty, brutish and short.” And he lived in a time when things had already gotten much more comfortable and convenient than they were in prehistory. In prehistory – the 300,000 years of unrecorded struggle in which our modern brain actually formed – life was much harder. Example: we lived about half as long then as we do today. We hadn’t yet conquered any of the homo-sapiens-loving predators in the world, so getting eaten was a very real daily concern. Pain-killers and antibiotics lay tens of thousands of years in the future. Amazon Prime even further than that. Yes. They lived without Amazon Prime. It was hell.
The genes you still carry in your body today developed in this time when comfort and convenience were exceedingly rare, and therefore extremely valuable. It is literally true that you are here because your forebears sought the low-hanging fruit, the well-worn path, the known cave vs the unknown one. The folks who chose the hard path, the unknown path, especially the solo path, aren’t here with us, nor are their genes. You and I are here because all of our forebears stretching back into the darkness of prehistory, chose comfort and convenience.
That was then. This is now.
Now we live in an era where our relentless desire for comfort and convenience has led us into a trap. We’ve killed off the vast majority of the dangerous predators (and 83 percent of all wild mammals. Yes, 83%.) Every year we use more of the earth’s resources than the earth can replenish. It would take 4.5 earths to support all 8 billion humans on the planet at the levels of comfort and convenience that you and I currently enjoy. Can we agree that’s too much comfort and convenience? You’ll say yes. And I’ll agree. And then I’ll reach for the remote. Because that’s how we’re wired.
Here’s the other thing: and maybe this is just me, but comfort and convenience are kind of over rated, aren’t they? I’ve been trying to look at the world through fresh eyes a lot lately. I’m trying to pay attention to the things I value and the things I don’t. I’m trying to pay attention to what gives me real pleasure and fulfillment and what gives me a quick hit of dopamine and quickly fades. I’m trying to understand the things that make me happy, and why. And my totally unscientific and completely personal conclusion on this is that the things that give me pleasure and satisfaction – the deep kind – generally have little to do with comfort and convenience. For me it is time spent in the woods or on a motorcycle in the middle of nowhere or learning a new skill. I find that discomfort and inconvenience are where much of the good stuff in life actually lies.
The other thing on my mind is that while that quick hit of dopamine we get from buying the latest snuggie quickly fades, the energy and resources it took to wrest that thing from the earth and deliver it to my porch are irreplaceable. So, how might we learn to curb our seemingly insatiable appetite for things that don’t actually give us any real pleasure and ultimately endanger our survival?
I have no answer to this question. I think about it alot. All I can truly say that I’m doing about it is increasingly seeking experiences that take me away from comfort and convenience. Maybe I can rewire myself? Maybe we all can? Or maybe we will all just snuggie ourselves to death. Hang on a sec… UPS is here…
Happy Holidays!
— Ty Montague
Chatting with my online AI friend about the holidays
In honor of the holiday season, I asked Chat GTP, an AI language platform, a few questions about Christmas. The platform has learned what it knows by digesting tons of documents published before 2022. I hoped its “logic” might illuminate my thinking about the holidays. To a degree, it did, as in the first answer. But there were moments when I suspected that Chat GTP hadn’t read much more than a bunch of promotional literature from the PR Agency handling the Destruction of the World account. (That would be a very lucrative client.) Here are the machine’s verbatim responses to my questions:
Me: Where can I buy coal for my kids’ stockings?
Chat GTP: It is not recommended to put coal in your kids' stockings, as coal is a non-renewable and polluting fossil fuel.
What will the Christmas holidays be like after our energy supply is depleted and society collapses?
It's impossible to predict exactly what the Christmas holidays will be like after our energy supply is depleted and society collapses. This scenario is highly unlikely and would be the result of a catastrophic event or series of events. In such a scenario, it's likely that many of the traditions and customs associated with the Christmas holiday would be significantly altered or abandoned altogether. People would likely be focused on survival and basic needs, rather than celebrating and exchanging gifts. It's important to remember that this scenario is highly unlikely, and there is no need to worry unnecessarily about it.
What role does capitalism play in Christmas?
Capitalism plays a significant role in Christmas in many countries around the world. Christmas has become a time of increased consumerism and commercial activity in many places. Many people buy gifts for their loved ones, as well as decorations, food, and other items to celebrate the holiday. This can lead to a boost in economic activity, as businesses benefit from increased sales and consumers spend money on these items.
In addition, the holiday season is often seen as a key time for retailers, as it can be a very profitable period. Many businesses launch marketing campaigns and sales to try to attract customers and boost their sales. This can further contribute to the commercialization of Christmas and the association of the holiday with capitalism.
How should i say happy holidays and see you in the new year to the readers of The Questions?
To say happy holidays and see you in the new year to the readers of The Questions, you can write a message such as:
"Happy holidays to all the readers of The Questions! We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. We look forward to seeing you in the new year and continuing to provide helpful answers to your questions. Wishing you all the best in the coming year!"
Alternatively, you can simply write: "Happy holidays and see you in the new year!"
It's also a nice touch to include holiday-specific language, such as "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukkah," depending on the holiday being celebrated.
Happy everything to you!
— Stephen P. Williams