Technologicalization and Materialism

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Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
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Technologicalization and Materialism

Post by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes »

Take a look at the following quote from George Carlin's latest stand up comedy special:
George Carlin wrote:Nobody questions things in this country anymore. Why? People are way too fat and happy. People are way too prosperous for their own good. Everyone's got a cell phone that will make pancakes and rub their balls now--so, nobody wants to rock the boat. Americans have been bought-off and silenced by gizmos and toys, and as a result, no one has ever learned to question things.
What do you think?

I think the Carlin quote can apply to the entire process of industrialization, and I see technology as an extension of industry. I think humanity is addicted to it. I believe our instinctive desires now work against us as a result of our ability to easily indulge them.

For example, we no longer have to fight so hard to feed ourselves, but we still have the instincts of a creature who does have to try hard to get enough to eat, so we overeat.

Industrialization and technology make it easier to indulge and control our environment. That has made our instincts outdated. We have become the slaves of industry and technology. I think that's what Thoreau meant when he said, "Men have become the tools of their tools."

What's the solution? To find the solution, I say look into other simpler examples of addiction and overindulgence, such as overeating or cocaine addiction. How do overeaters and cocaine addicts beat their addiction and stop being a slave to their addiction or tendency to overindulge? Basically, I think it is mostly self-control and finding more valuable ways to spend their time--much harder than it sounds.

Materialism and technologicalization can be beaten just as alcoholism can. And that analogy let's me also point out that I am not saying that we need to completely get rid of technology or industry all-together, just as I would not say we need to completely get rid of alcohol all-together. It's materialism and alcoholism that I think are the problem. It's superficiality, addiction, overindulgence and short-sightedness that we need to overcome.

What do you think?
My entire political philosophy summed up in one tweet.

"The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master."

I believe spiritual freedom (a.k.a. self-discipline) manifests as bravery, confidence, grace, honesty, love, and inner peace.
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Post by pjkeeley »

Though I personally would agree with you, that's not to say everyone would. Your post heavily implies that if only everyone realised how duped they were by materialism they would willingly give it up. I don't believe this to be true. I think the majority of people are happy living as they are now, and it's not up to us to decide for them how to live.
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Post by harper »

I would like to think that education is the solution to many of lives problems. Lets stop paying mr. baseball 40 million over 4 years and give 100 of our teachers a 40K a year raise for educating our future.

I know if at a young age I was thuroughly educated on the mistakes one makes in life i might make better decisions. Lets change whats important to our society. Am I wrong or is it cool to be street smart or savy(yay lets hustle someone out of their money).

There is a reason that the American government does not allow society to pick the president.
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Travcat
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Re: Technologicalization and Materialism

Post by Travcat »

Carlin was a rebel.
I love rebels
Some hate them
Rebels change things
The first tool
Was made by a rebel
Will life get so good
That no one will rebel?
I doubt it
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Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
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Re: Technologicalization and Materialism

Post by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes »

This topic was originally posted in 2008, and I believe the Carlin quote was from that year as well. It is interesting to re-visit them both now, 13 years later, in 2021.

The original iPhone was released in 2007.

In 2008, I didn't even a smartphone (or a son). Now my 11-year-old son has an iPhone. So much has changed. Yet, are the words in the OP any less true or relevant today 13 years later?

pjkeeley wrote: April 20th, 2008, 3:31 am Though I personally would agree with you, that's not to say everyone would. Your post heavily implies that if only everyone realised how duped they were by materialism they would willingly give it up. I don't believe this to be true. I think the majority of people are happy living as they are now, and it's not up to us to decide for them how to live.
I don't disagree. In a way, this shows another way the analogy is accurate. Consider alcohol and alcoholism: There are many alcoholics who go to AA meetings, who conceptually recognize and verbalize the problems with alcohol, but yet still drink.


harper wrote: June 29th, 2008, 11:53 pm I would like to think that education is the solution to many of lives problems. Lets stop paying mr. baseball 40 million over 4 years and give 100 of our teachers a 40K a year raise for educating our future.
On the one hand, I share most of that sentiment. On the other hand, we don't pay sports stars at all.


Travcat wrote: July 6th, 2017, 4:35 pm Carlin was a rebel.
I love rebels
Me too! :)
My entire political philosophy summed up in one tweet.

"The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master."

I believe spiritual freedom (a.k.a. self-discipline) manifests as bravery, confidence, grace, honesty, love, and inner peace.
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Count Lucanor
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Re: Technologicalization and Materialism

Post by Count Lucanor »

Scott wrote: April 19th, 2008, 12:04 am

Industrialization and technology make it easier to indulge and control our environment. That has made our instincts outdated. We have become the slaves of industry and technology. I think that's what Thoreau meant when he said, "Men have become the tools of their tools."
The rise of the consumer, in replacement of the old citizen, is a condition for the continuous reproduction of the capitalist system. You are what you buy and consume, and you can shop your identity in a store. We are the slaves of capitalism. Industry and technology are the means to that end.
The wise are instructed by reason, average minds by experience, the stupid by necessity and the brute by instinct.
― Marcus Tullius Cicero
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RJG
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Re: Technologicalization and Materialism

Post by RJG »

Scott wrote:
George Carlin wrote:Nobody questions things in this country anymore. Why? People are way too fat and happy. People are way too prosperous for their own good. Everyone's got a cell phone that will make pancakes and rub their balls now--so, nobody wants to rock the boat. Americans have been bought-off and silenced by gizmos and toys, and as a result, no one has ever learned to question things.
What do you think?
I think Carlin is spot on -- we are slowly dissolving into a society as depicted in the movie "Idiocracy".

********
Overall, I think our education system has failed us. Instead of teaching students how to think, we are teaching our students what to think. The cancel culture mentality, and the laziness in society are a product of this.

In other words, people have too much free time on their hands, and have become spoiled, expecting the world to take care of them instead of fending for themselves. The preference to just automatically and arrogantly regurgitate what they've been told to believe (and "cancel" those that disagree via ad hominens, slander, etc) allows them more time to focus on their perceived self-entitled indulgences.
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LuckyR
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Re: Technologicalization and Materialism

Post by LuckyR »

The average smartphone user not only doesn't know how their phone (and essentially all of their technological conveniences) works, they can't know how it works. In the past (that Carlin doesn't address other than to insinuate was somehow "better" than the Modern, smartphone era) the rabble were even farther behind the elites. Thus the smartphone era rabble has a much broader platform to question elites than the pre-social media rabble did, in direct contrast to his writings. Now whether they make use of this ability is another matter, but it only takes one activist post to go viral to harness the power in numbers of the rabble.

Social media raised over a million dollars to help the orphans of the Asian American shooter victims. Couldn't do that in 1998.
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