This complaint is kind of like saying people are bad drivers. If you really look at how many people are driving at any time, your mind will boggle that there are not more accidents.
Talking about how people don't appreciate flying is kind of funny, but how true is it? How many people actually whine about internet on a plane? One guy, in all of Louis CK's travels? Okay, maybe a few... out of hundreds, or thousands?
How many people really whined about the Moon bombs, compared to how many did not? It's important to keep things in perspective, and not be fooled by the very human penchant for selective observation.
I think it's mischaracterizing the piece to suggest that he's saying all, a majority, or even a large population act this way... I think he's questioning why certain parts of the population have crafted this entitlement complex for themselves.
I think what Matt convey's here spills over into so many aspects of life. I could not be more agreeable to everything Matt points out in this piece. Its true, the people of the information age have lost their sense of wonderment. I think the younger they are, the more rooted the problem is.
I recall my wife's pregnancy. I had a sense of fear, and just bewilderment about how it was even possible. I have no shortage of admiration for pregnant women, they are doing something I can't even full comprehend as a member of the male species. I had this sense of fear, not a negative fear, but a healthy understanding of the heavy commitment I was taking on. As I talk to other fathers, I think a handful "get it" but a greater majority don't even think about it, they just react to the situation, never considering the amazing changes to their mate.
I remember going to get a sonogram done, expectant to discover the sex of the child. The Dr. is aggravated because it was assigned for an older piece of equipment and he could not tell us that day. Never for a second did I feel anger, or entitlement to know, what I did see that day was simply amazing to me, and apparently that was ancient tech in the Doctor's expert opinion. We did eventually have another done, and saw a more robust image, and I was no less in amazement. A year later a co worker of mine brought in one so detailed that it showed the shape of the face, and most people were "wow", but I more or less went "HOLY SHIT! he has your nose". I could not stop looking at the image.
I am in complete agreement with Matt, people take for granted the complex and intricate workings of even the most "menial" objects like our televisions or phones, people seem to think that, because they have always been around in recent memory, we all deserve to have the best of everything but i find this a contradciction when we don't even have a basic understanding of how these things work, people show little appreciation or wonder these days.
Each generation moves with the world that is presented to it. I am highly appreciative of my modern trappings (smartphone, small laptops, big colour TV etc...).
I got my first cellphone nearly 12 years ago. The freedom was incredible. It replaced a pager and that was amazing in itself. I now have a 12 year old niece who has had a cellphone for nearly 2 years. She doesn't like it now because of x reason or other. It's all too easy to be ungrateful and complacent when it has been around you for so long.
This complaint is kind of like saying people are bad drivers. If you really look at how many people are driving at any time, your mind will boggle that there are not more accidents.
Talking about how people don't appreciate flying is kind of funny, but how true is it? How many people actually whine about internet on a plane? One guy, in all of Louis CK's travels? Okay, maybe a few... out of hundreds, or thousands?
How many people really whined about the Moon bombs, compared to how many did not? It's important to keep things in perspective, and not be fooled by the very human penchant for selective observation.
True enough, but how many people do you think would have complained if they had to actually work to see the event? Pack the family into the station wagon and head out into the hills so as to witness the the wonder like people did for so many events before the internet. Yes one complaint out of a billion internet users ain't bad but it still stinks of "why didn't they cater to me?" Instead of " What a wonderful convenience to live in this time."
It is a question of perspective. The people who always act most entitled are the ones who didn't grow up without the convenience. They have no point of reference as to how long it used to take and how much of an effort it was.
Comments
"Several billion trillion tons of superhot exploding hydrogen nuclei rose slowly above the horizon and managed to look small, cold and slightly damp."
Talking about how people don't appreciate flying is kind of funny, but how true is it? How many people actually whine about internet on a plane? One guy, in all of Louis CK's travels? Okay, maybe a few... out of hundreds, or thousands?
How many people really whined about the Moon bombs, compared to how many did not? It's important to keep things in perspective, and not be fooled by the very human penchant for selective observation.
I recall my wife's pregnancy. I had a sense of fear, and just bewilderment about how it was even possible. I have no shortage of admiration for pregnant women, they are doing something I can't even full comprehend as a member of the male species. I had this sense of fear, not a negative fear, but a healthy understanding of the heavy commitment I was taking on. As I talk to other fathers, I think a handful "get it" but a greater majority don't even think about it, they just react to the situation, never considering the amazing changes to their mate.
I remember going to get a sonogram done, expectant to discover the sex of the child. The Dr. is aggravated because it was assigned for an older piece of equipment and he could not tell us that day. Never for a second did I feel anger, or entitlement to know, what I did see that day was simply amazing to me, and apparently that was ancient tech in the Doctor's expert opinion. We did eventually have another done, and saw a more robust image, and I was no less in amazement. A year later a co worker of mine brought in one so detailed that it showed the shape of the face, and most people were "wow", but I more or less went "HOLY SHIT! he has your nose". I could not stop looking at the image.
tehehehehehehehehehehehe
I got my first cellphone nearly 12 years ago. The freedom was incredible. It replaced a pager and that was amazing in itself. I now have a 12 year old niece who has had a cellphone for nearly 2 years. She doesn't like it now because of x reason or other. It's all too easy to be ungrateful and complacent when it has been around you for so long.
I know I am guilty of it.
True enough, but how many people do you think would have complained if they had to actually work to see the event? Pack the family into the station wagon and head out into the hills so as to witness the the wonder like people did for so many events before the internet. Yes one complaint out of a billion internet users ain't bad but it still stinks of "why didn't they cater to me?" Instead of " What a wonderful convenience to live in this time."