The Great Human Rat Race

Visions of the Rewilding Renaissance
#1

What is the point of the rat race that comprises civilization?

A utopia? We will never see it presently and everyone knows this.

Does it exist so that people can say I owned more cars, technological gadgets, consumer materials, and expensive houses, right before the moment of their deaths where they lose everything?

Does it exist just for that one second moment before death where one can say, " I had all of these things that defined me as a person and therefore I am better than all the rest?"

None of us I assure you is going to step into death with our possessions as such an entity only accepts dead corpses by themselves instead.

So, what then is the point of the rat race? Where is it all going?

Why does anyone even bother?

#2

For those who may not be familiar with the term " Rat Race." I shall direct your attention here:

http://www.answers.com/topic/rat-race-3?cat=technology

#3

Again I think you’re covering ground that Anthropik has already forged.

You might want to take a look at their post “Thesis #12: Civilization must always grow.”

In fact, I highly recommend reading all 30 Theses. They cover some of the same ground as Daniel Quinn (whom I also recommend if you haven’t read–start with Ishmael,) but they do a wonderful job of enumerating the different aspects of civilization and the human plight–not to mention pointing to the inevitability of the collapse.

#4

A good plauge would help quell the rat race.

#5

I wish.

#6

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6959583.stm

you just might get it.

#7

[quote=“TheJoker, post:1, topic:366”]What is the point of the rat race that comprises civilization?

A utopia? We will never see it presently and everyone knows this.

Does it exist so that people can say I owned more cars, technological gadgets, consumer materials, and expensive houses, right before the moment of their deaths where they lose everything?

Does it exist just for that one second moment before death where one can say, " I had all of these things that defined me as a person and therefore I am better than all the rest?"

None of us I assure you is going to step into death with our possessions as such an entity only accepts dead corpses by themselves instead.

So, what then is the point of the rat race? Where is it all going?

Why does anyone even bother?[/quote]

Although I basically live free of “material desires”, there is one I cannot seem to separate myself from, and that is human interaction with another human being. Your ability to find companionship in a materialistic society, can be partly attributed to the material possessions that give you status. Having such things will allow you more options in the overall search for a mate. After all a woman would be much more comfortable having children with a man who has great qualities and an obvious ability to raise that child in a “good” environment opposed to a man with great qualities and is poor.

So there is a purpose for the rat race.