What We Love Will Ruin Us

What We Love Will Ruin Us

        In agreeance with the social critic Neil Postman’s assertion, Aldous Huxley’s vision of the means through which human’s will meet their demise, uprooted in egotism and love for oppression, as depicted in his novel Brave New World, is more relevant today than is George Orwell’s argument that human demise will be triggered by externally imposed oppression, as depicted in his novel 1984.  Similar to the rise of the youth counterculture in the late 1900’s, that excelled due to rising ideas of non-conformity in pop culture, through music, apparel, literature, etc, prevalent in today’s society, technological advancements are becoming more and more accessible to individuals today, and are hosting greater influence in the minds of these individuals. As youth pass-time shifts from hop scotch and paperbacks to i-pad applications and ebooks, human dependency on technological innovations is becoming more evident. In response to this technological innovation has been the amplification of the once muffled voices of the younger generation. Through social media, and forms of entertainment, today’s growing generations have gained greater access to the societal microphone, instigating increased learning and discussion often taboo ideas.

        In contrast to Orwell’s vision, that predicts that we as a humanity would have the truth concealed from us, the enlarging spread and scope of easily accessible information and through previously discussed social media, digital applications, YouTube, Netflix, etc. only deepens humanity’s access to the “truth.” Huxley, however, predicts that we will drown in a “sea of irrelevance”. Such a prediction can be interpreted to be already occurring. Yes, a large percentage of the human race has access to incomprehensible amounts of information through the internet, but what percentage delves into and takes advantage of this information? Many carry on with their lives considering much of this limitless, easily accessible knowledge to be “irrelevant” choosing not to research, learn, and widen the scope of their understanding of the world past the necessary requirements of receiving an education. In addition, Orwell predicts that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression, demonstrated through the earliest of ancient battles, the Revolutionary War, and western democracy’s fight against the “Red Scare.” This however, is unlikely. From, the earliest civilizations to modern society, humanity has always fought against oppression. Although in certain cases, individual greed and circumstantial naïveté has led to the demise of justice and the occupation of totalitarian governments, as predicted in Orwell’s novel, humans have demonstrated their ability to fight back. Those who manage to escape the grips of communist countries protest against the unjustified murder of innocent individuals, or simply those who speak out against the common opinion in a group-discussion with co-workers, are representative of the natural human tendency to break free from oppression. However, Huxley believes that a “Big Brother” is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity, and history, in that people will come to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think. This is vey possible, and may be already occurring. In the current era, society has become technologically dependent, one longer has to read pages and pages of research material to find out “how much a polar bear weights.” With a few simplified, effortless, keystrokes, this information can be found in a matter of seconds.  Such access to information, explanations, and answers is limiting human necessity, and over time, capacity to think, due to a decay of skillsets triggered by ceased application. This technology that allows us such access to information was not created by a mysterious eternal individual force, but by the minds of the brightest individuals in society. Therefore, we have brought such a circumstance upon ourselves, in correlation to Huxley’s prediction. Finally, Orwell feared that what we love will ruin us, while Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us. Technological advancements are favorable, and that is undeniable. The majority of teenagers aspire to own the newest Galaxy or iPhone,  college students the newest touchscreen laptop, and parents, the sleek new model of luxury smart car. Investment in such technology may, be what we love, but what may also lead to all demise. Humanity is, and may continue to be overcome by ego, greed, and jealously, blinded by “the sea of irrelevance and attempted by “the orgy porgy” of over-sexualization in the media. Internal motivations will fend off externally imposed oppression, in contrast to Orwell’s fears. Humanity will meet its demise through internal appetite for distractions. Society may be able to break the confines of marginalization, censorship, totalitarian occupation, pain, and fear, but it is very possible that it will fail to break past the confines of the human mind and its natural tendencies.