Over and over in our daily lives we are bonbarded with claims of progress and how we are perpetually “moving forward”. These claims are typically related to technology, but often overflow into all aspects of existence. My question is, what is the goal? To be “progressing” towards something implies that there is some sort of event that will define and qualify the progress leading to said event. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy indoor plumbing, and am eternallly greatful to people like Jonas Salk, Louis Pasteur, and, of course, the guy that invented “nerf” however, how has this “progress” really improved life at its core? Are we happier as a species? This constant drive to move foward to “make things easier for future generations” has only succeeded in making things more complicated for future generations. Does the average man or woman have more free time to enjoy his or her family? Wasn’t that the glory of automation? Less manual labor = more free time? Computers relieving burdens of man? Seems that all that has happened is that more is now expected of the individual as the tools become more “progressive” Seems to me that we may have been sold a bill of goods What is the payoff? What’s the “goal”?
This is a lot more complex than I can possibly summarize in such a short statement. I hope that the root of the question is clear, it is much broader than the importance of western medicine so please ponder carefully and respond accordingly.
And remember… you can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose.