Aldous Huxley wants you to delete Netflix
Huxley predicted the degeneracy of modern pastimes in his essay "Pleasures"
He writes that modern pleasures are making people weak and stupid
Insights from the essay 👇🏻
Huxley predicted the degeneracy of modern pastimes in his essay "Pleasures"
He writes that modern pleasures are making people weak and stupid
Insights from the essay 👇🏻
1/ Pleasure must not be an escape from effort
In fact, pleasure must be unavailable *without* effort
Why? Because:
When preceded by effort, pleasure reinvigorates
When preceded by nothing, pleasure retards
In fact, pleasure must be unavailable *without* effort
Why? Because:
When preceded by effort, pleasure reinvigorates
When preceded by nothing, pleasure retards
2/ Theological debates were arranged as entertainment at royal weddings
Lord Williams and Cambridge logicians hashed it out at Prince Palatine’s engagement
Huxley:
“There was a time when people indulged themselves with distractions requiring a certain intellectual effort.”
Lord Williams and Cambridge logicians hashed it out at Prince Palatine’s engagement
Huxley:
“There was a time when people indulged themselves with distractions requiring a certain intellectual effort.”
3/ In Elizabethan times, regular people “could be relied upon” to break into complex musical acts like madrigals or motets
People had to “exert their minds to an uncommon degree” to entertain themselves
This kept their minds supple
People had to “exert their minds to an uncommon degree” to entertain themselves
This kept their minds supple
4/ Huxley hates *mass produced* distractions
On movies:
“Countless audiences passively soak in the tepid bath of nonsense. No mental effort is demanded of them, no participation; they need only sit and keep their eyes open.”
On movies:
“Countless audiences passively soak in the tepid bath of nonsense. No mental effort is demanded of them, no participation; they need only sit and keep their eyes open.”
5/ In the past, entertainment was a consequence of active collaboration between friends, family, and neighbors
Today, these very groups of people sit in darkness
And silently watch something that strangers made halfway across the world
Today, these very groups of people sit in darkness
And silently watch something that strangers made halfway across the world
6/ In *The World Until Yesterday*
Jared Diamond writes about African kids who make model airplanes from sticks and stones by looking at a newspaper picture
Kids in rich societies buy airplane sets from the mall
Kids’ entertainment becomes passive and readymade - progress?
Jared Diamond writes about African kids who make model airplanes from sticks and stones by looking at a newspaper picture
Kids in rich societies buy airplane sets from the mall
Kids’ entertainment becomes passive and readymade - progress?
To summarize the thread in one picture:
Thank you for reading fren
Pls RT
Pls RT
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