Blog: Buliwif on LiveVideo.com

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THE MYSPACE FILES: BLOGS OF WEBSITES...

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MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008 (4:21 PM)

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THE MYSPACE FILES: BLOGS OF WEBSITES PAST...

(I'm feeling s-m-r-t)

The following is one of my older blogs from my days on Myspace. Rather than writing about my day or whatever was on my mind, I had a hankerin' for writing actual articles. What follows is an essay on civilization entitled:

CIVILIZATION, or SOPHISTICATTY...

Civilization. A word that, in a sense, is an oxymoron in itself. From the beginning of man's time here on Earth, he's sought to find refuge and safety in the presence of others like himself, only to discover that things don't always work out the way you planned.

Man is an odd creature. If you doubt me, just ask any woman. No doubt she will set you straight in short order. Your average man is a jumble of conflicting interests, and more often than not will choose the interest that most conflicts with his own well being. For example: A man is given a choice - pay the phone bill or buy an X-box 360... well, who really needs to talk to other people when you can be playing Call of Duty, right? Man, as a race, is little different. More often than not, Mankind will choose the easiest or less inconvenient path, rather than deal with the unpleasantries of life. I doubt I really need to give examples here, as I'm sure you can think of several off the top of your head. It seems, on the surface, at least, to be somewhat self destructive, the way the human race conducts itself, and in some ways it definitely is. Of course there is another side to this.

Refuge and safety in the presence of others of his own kind. That's what I stated at the beginning of this entry. Man has an irrisistable urge to congregate into tight spaces. Look at any major city: Residential blocks filled with thousands of people, seperated by mere inches of wood and drywall. Condos and tract houses and apartment buildings - all veritable sardine cans overflowing with human life. I'm feeling crowded just thinking about it. But that's how man chooses to live. Indeed, that is how man feels most comfortable. That is progress. that is Civilization.

Wikipedia's primary definition of civilization reads as follows: a civilization is a complex society. Technically, anthropologists distinguish civilizations in which many of the people live in cities and get their food from agriculture, from band and tribal societies in which people live in small settlements or nomadic groups and subsist by foraging, hunting, or working small horticultural gardens.

So, basically, people congregate into an area, share ideas and beliefs, and they begin to develop. As more people join the community, industry blooms, business booms, and yet more people come running to get in on the action. Soon you have a thriving metropolis, and everyone lives happily ever after. Well, sort of.

You see, Man has a nearly fatal flaw in his character. While man craves the company of others, he is also, by nature, extremely territorial. As civilization grows, man withdraws. The larger a community becomes, the more protective man becomes of his belongings. He draws into himself, becomes reclusive. Don't believe me? Read on.

Here's a little experiment to try. Name any person who lives four streets over from you. Can you? How about two streets over? How about on the corner of your own street? Your neighbor? Now go ask your parents the same questions regarding their childhood homes. Now go ask your grandparents.

Now obviously I'm not there to hear the answers as given, but I'm willing to wager that your parents probably knew, on the average, about three times more people than you did when they were children. I'm also willing to wager that your grandparents knew practically everyone in the town when they were young. No, i'm not suggesting that you are insensitive to your surroundings, I'm just pointing out the natural course of civilization: as society grows, involvement within that society dwindles. How many times have you heard of a small town where everybody knows everyone else's business? Now name me a large city where the same thing can be said?

Interesting, isn't it? Unfortunately that's just on the surface of man's fatal flaw.

Wikipedia gives several definitions for society. According to Wiki, Civilization can also mean the standard of behavior, similar to etiquette. "Civilized" behavior is contrasted with "barbaric" or crude behavior. In this sense, civilization implies sophistication and refinement. In a sense, this is true. As society develops, a sense of "morals" also develop. In a small town, people tend to greet one another with a smile and a kind word. Hospitality is a common phrase, and everyone more or less gets along well. As towns become cities, however, that mentality tends to change. Take a walk down any street in Los Angeles or Chicago or New York and see how many people smile at you and say hi. Is this a sign of sophistication and refinement?

As one examines the evidence, an interesting pattern seems to emerge. Man is a solitary creature, savage and brutal. He lives for himself and no one else. But soon feelings of longing emerge, and he seeks the solice of others of his own kind. He meets others and a group is formed. The group soon becomes a tribe, the tribe a village, the village a town, the town a city, and so on and so forth. Man sheds his savage and brutal ways and becomes "civilized". As the cities become larger and "Civilization" crowds in, however, Man begins to revert to his own ways. He becomes more territorial, more aggressive. He becomes prone to anger and rage. Violence towards others takes a turn for the worse, and soon society begins to collapse. In the end, man is once again solitary.

Of course, I'm not suggesting we give up life in the big city and live in teepees, but it's truly interesting when you can take a step back and notice the pattern. Check it out for yourself. Take a close look at the world you live in. Look at the faces of the people you pass on the street, or the people you deal with at your job, or the other drivers next to you on the freeway.

You might just find yourself having an overwhelming urge to stop the next person you pass, give a big smile and say "Hi"...

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