What our world has become.

POSTED BY: Fremdfirma
UPDATED: Monday, June 29, 2026 21:34
VIEWED: 23018
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AGENTROUKA

Thursday, May 3, 2007 3:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Causal:
That sort of environment is the one where people see a musician and say, "Homeless schill wanting my money" and that walk right along. But if they got dressed up and went to a concert hall, the experience would be phenomenologically different. Because there people see a musician and say, "Genius playing masterpieces."

Yes, context is big.

With a musician on the street, their art is pushed onto you, whether you're in a frame of mind to receive it or not. It's like a child demanding your attention - and then asking for your money. *Snap* Appreciate on demand - or you have the wrong priorities? Some enjoy that, but some don't. Many don't.

In a concert, you can choose to experience it. You choose to give your attention. And money. It's not forced onto you. Of course you'll perceive it differently.

I don't think it says sad things about humanity that when their mind is on business, their mind is not on art. It's a question of concentration.

DEADLOCKVICTIM

Thursday, May 3, 2007 3:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Causal:
It doesn't surprise me too much that no one listened to Bell. That sort of environment is the one where people see a musician and say, "Homeless schill wanting my money" and then walk right by.

I don't totally disagree, but the sad part, IMO, is the failure of these people to disengage from the routine that has become their day to day life and recognize the beauty that occasionally surrounds them... that we as a society can't take the time to appreciate the things that should matter the most to us is upsetting.

CAUSAL

Thursday, May 3, 2007 3:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by deadlockvictim:
...the sad part, IMO, is the failure of these people to disengage from the routine that has become their day to day life and recognize the beauty that occasionally surrounds them... that we as a society can't take the time to appreciate the things that should matter the most to us is upsetting.

When have we "as a society" been able to?

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AGENTROUKA

Thursday, May 3, 2007 3:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by deadlockvictim:
Quote:
Originally posted by Causal:
It doesn't surprise me too much that no one listened to Bell. That sort of environment is the one where people see a musician and say, "Homeless schill wanting my money" and then walk right by.

I don't totally disagree, but the sad part, IMO, is the failure of these people to disengage from the routine that has become their day to day life and recognize the beauty that occasionally surrounds them... that we as a society can't take the time to appreciate the things that should matter the most to us is upsetting.

Time is often not theirs to take, though.

Our society works because it is based on precision. People being in certain places, doing certain things at very certain times. In between that we're supposed to fit our lives, families and sleep.

Does it rob us of certain freedoms and is that sad? Yes. But with as many people as we are, inparticular concentrated in one place in big cities, it's probably the only way to keep things running smoothly.

To quote Wash, "Work work work..."

KANEMAN

Thursday, May 3, 2007 3:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by AgentRouka:
Quote:
Originally posted by deadlockvictim:
Quote:
Originally posted by Causal:
It doesn't surprise me too much that no one listened to Bell. That sort of environment is the one where people see a musician and say, "Homeless schill wanting my money" and then walk right by.

I don't totally disagree, but the sad part, IMO, is the failure of these people to disengage from the routine that has become their day to day life and recognize the beauty that occasionally surrounds them... that we as a society can't take the time to appreciate the things that should matter the most to us is upsetting.

Time is often not theirs to take, though.

Our society works because it is based on precision. People being in certain places, doing certain things at very certain times. In between that we're supposed to fit our lives, families and sleep.

Does it rob us of certain freedoms and is that sad? Yes. But with as many people as we are, inparticular concentrated in one place in big cities, it's probably the only way to keep things running smoothly.

To quote Wash, "Work work work..."

Absolutely. If this little experiment were done at say...lunch hour, I am sure a crowd would have formed. Just as it does around the drummer playing trash cans.....

DEADLOCKVICTIM

Thursday, May 3, 2007 4:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Causal:
When have we "as a society" been able to?

A poor choice of words on my part - all I’m saying is this, beauty is a fleeting thing - the wonders of the world around us should be more important than catching the train on time -

I’m not saying that a person’s profession isn't important or that dedication to that profession is not admirable. However, alluding to this threads title, “what our world has become” implies to me that maybe if we took the time to appreciate life as the gift that is, there might not be as much suffering and turmoil as is so prevalent today.

FREMDFIRMA

Thursday, May 3, 2007 4:53 PM

Gotcha.

YBHT, sort of, just a little.

The reason I posted that without comment was to see. and show, just how deep the corpo-drone conditioning goes in our society, to see if anyone would come forth and justify.

Interesting indeed.

To me, a street musician, if he's any good, is handing out a gift, and yes, they'd like you to spare a little if you can, but rather than the corporate scheme of the RIAA with their grip firmly around your throat (legally) extorting you - the streetie is reaching out to your humanity, which makes him a cut above.

I probably would have stopped for quite a while, and dumped a fistfull of small bills in his box - I can live without my luxuries, it comes to it, and memory is forever.

I think, socially, we need to pull our heads out and really take a good hard look at what our priorities are - what is so all damn fired important about work-work-work-die to further enrich the moneyed elite who screw us on everything from medical care benefits to pensions ?

If all you accomplish in life is to afford your children the opportunity to work-work-work-die, can you even really say that you're alive ?

We condition ourselves to accept the unacceptable, and then justify the lie to ourselves every day, just step back and look really hard at your own life for a moment, how much of your life is really yours ?

How much of the fruits of your labor goes to the enrichment of YOUR life, and how much goes up the ladder ?

I dunno about you, but some folk would rather starve happily than gorge miserably, and I am one of em - it's not often I am thankful to be a self employed cabbie, but this is one of those times.

"How did this happen, who's to blame ? well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty.. you need only look into a mirror..." - V

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

RUE

Thursday, May 3, 2007 5:01 PM

About the article specifically - the violin is not my favorite instrument to listen to, especially when played by professionals who are taught to play it to stridency. I've heard violins played sweetly, without being overly cloying (being cloying is an issue with the 'gypsy' style of playing). So I'm not sure I would have been enammored of this event.

But I have occasioanlly stopped to hear the music even at the risk of being late.

IMHO music in general can be another language that can tell you things you can't put in words. And some people have the gift. Where you don't hear the technique, the instrument, the overlayed emotion, or the notes - you hear the music.

AGENTROUKA

Thursday, May 3, 2007 5:52 PM

Frem:

But you draw from this event the assumption that people don't make time for beauty in their lives at all, or so it seems.

Not everyone can enjoy the independence of being self-employed, be it personal inclination or because certain things just won't get done efficiently that way. Say, hospitals.

It's not all about serving the enemy "up there". I currently answer phones for a living. If I am not there, people who have a right to tell me their acute issues don't have the opportunity. My coworkers can't get their stuff done if they have to pick up my slack. It's my immediate environment that suffers, not some societal oppressor.

Does that need to be punctual mean I don't enjoy beauty in my life, that everything I do revolves around work or mental slavery for the sake of wealth? No. Neither am I wealthy, nor am I numb to my environment. I write, I paint, I act, I enjoy my family and friends, food and sleep, beautiful sleep. I have a lot of small "ooh, the universe is lovely" moments in my day. Would I have stopped for Bell? Probably not.

I am kind of offended by the presumption that the attention I pay a street musician, even one who is actually a recognized genius, should be the measure of my quality of life.

KHYRON

Thursday, May 3, 2007 6:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by AgentRouka:
I am kind of offended by the presumption that the attention I pay a street musician, even one who is actually a recognized genius, should be the measure of my quality of life.

Well said.

Fremd, your argument seems to be that we're either drones too busy working for the "evil capitalist system" to appreciate life (bad), or fullblown sentimentalists fully appreciating any random bit of "beauty" we come across (good) - beauty is a subjective concept, btw; like Rue indicated, not everybody likes the violin. Or classical music, for that matter.

That this experiment was apparently made during rush hour makes the article's point irrelevant anyway. Like Kaneman said, if it were done during lunch hour one might have had different results.

"The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter."

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