Some terrific thoughtful responses. Good work, people. I am still trying to read through them…
Since time is short for me today (–funny, more often than not, these new gadgets come into the market with the advertised thought that they will be time-savers, and yet, more and more, it seems that people are out of time, impatient, disconcerted…), so let’s go straight to the assignment. Here it is:
Assignment 2: React to this quotation from Thoreau: ”Most of the luxuries, and many of the so called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.” Many of you seem to be tending toward a similar conclusion in the video and in your comments. However tempting it is to consider these words in light of the fact that they were written more than a century and half ago, don’t do it. Just consider the quotation in regards to your own day. Good luck.
I agree in that we don’t advance very much when we are in comfort and progress is generally made during uncomfortable situations in order to avoid or solve our discomfort. For example, even stepping away from the technological aspect for a moment, If I am warm and cozy and laying down in bed, it’s more likely that I’ll read a book or listen to music than do homework. When we become comfortable we lose the motivation to change things because, well, we’re comfortable with the way things are right now. In forming and holding onto things that give us comfort, we choose to hold ourselves back. Many of the things we create in order to advance ourselves further actually hold us back.
I think that luxuries are someones opinions and what they do with them can either effect society or not. I also think thats since society is so focused on the advances in the world, that they forget to find the luxuries that are assumed and are free. Anything that makes a person happy is going to make them who they are and are going to make society grow and become what we’re going to become. Whether or not an object is indispensable its going to have an effect on a person in some way shape or form.
I disagree with Thoreau. The Luxuries of life are just that, meaning they’re not necessities. They do make our lives a hell of a lot easier, but if we were forced to we could live without them. Technology and new discoveries are what allow mankind to make progress and “elevate” to higher potential. Advancement in technologies that make our lives more comfortable does not mean we are becoming lazier, it means we are progressing towards a more productive society. Without these “luxuries” we’d still be stuck in the Stone Age.
Most of the luxuries, and many of the so called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.
Indespensable: (NOT) absolutely necessary, essential, or requisite
Think of an escape today: a glass of wine, football on the television, going on a “date” at the movies. Are we really doing anything when we are participating in the comforts of life? iPads, iPhones, Facebook and Kindles are considered one of the most prized possessions of many Americans. I agree with Thoreau’s statement, I also feel that the unneccesary use of technology stops cultural production.
I agree with this quote because I think that even though technology exists as a “comfort” doesn’t mean they’re good for us. The way this quote compares to my own day is that I barely ever used technology even though there is a ton available to me over the course of the day.
I think this quote is relevant to our own day, in the fact that our “luxuries” ARE our comforts in life. The technology of today including cell phones, ipods, the internet…etc. tend to take people, mostly the younger generations such as teenagers (Now spreading to children) away from proper ways of communication. The strength of the spoken word has rather quickly diminished to the weakness of digital communication where I have seen the disrespect to our parents, family, and other authority increase. Along with the disrespect there is a lack of improvement towards communication, concentration, and our future education. So I agree with Thoreau because our comfort zones of silence and digital interactions are unnecessary and creating a road block for our future improvement of mankind.
Honestly, I completely agree with Thoreau, even though we may be enjoying these great technologies, it is preventing us from becoming an elevated version of ourselves. During this last Spring Break, I spent my entire time up at Lake Powell on a kayaking trip where there was no technology, whatsoever. Just a week away from the daily technologies of life and I actually felt more aware and alive than ever. Conversation was great, and we found plenty of things to do because we were in a situation where if we weren’t doing something, it may have impacted the others in the group. We are far too comforted in this world, and as others said in the last post, we are becoming uncomfortable with reality. Our alone time is spent surfing the internet, watching tv, or texting friends. Just like with Brave New World, alone time helps you become an individual, but if you are doing things that everyone else is doing then you are just another body in the crowd. In order to get fully in touch with ourselves, we would need to drop all of the daily habits and start to think individually… Otherwise we may just become a bunch of mindless clones uttering the same brainwashed messages.
Yes, in many ways our luxuries are not essential. All the technology I use, I know there can be a life without them. Some of them make life easier, hence being luxuries, but some are distractions that we have to overcome in order to really reflect on life. It’s hard to have time to think because in the back of my mind I am thinking about all the things I could be doing: watching tv, going online, etc. It is funny that even centuries ago, man was troubled by his luxuries. In some ways, life and man never really change.
I agree with Thoreau for the most part. His outlook on technology goes against all of the tendencies and vices that companies try to use in order to sell their products. He argues that they harm, rather than help us. In my opinion, these “luxuries” and “comforts” that we have cut us off from certain aspects of our mental capacities. Creativity is slipping away and we don’t seem to care. Or maybe we just don’t know. It is possible that the marketing has done well and we actually believe that everything new that comes out is not only a necessity but will really help humanity. Either way, they don’t help humanity.
I agree with him. what he is saying is that new technologies hinder us when it comes to making ourselves a better person. for example the interenet is there to help us with research and with learning but most of the time people use the internet for reasons that do nothing good for them intellectually and if there would be no internet we as a people would beable to learn more. The interenet is not a necessity eventhough it may seem that way. We can still live without the internet
I would agree with this quote because it relates to evolutionary discoveries.
Its much simpler to use all the technologies (luxuries) that exist today than to go without them. Texting gets the message across quick, facebook lets people “interact” from the comfort of their own homes, and movies and video games keep people entertained, much easier than things like books.
It is simpler, and more convenient, thus letting mankind think less, and be less creative.
And with less thinking, less creativity, less difficulty, mankind is tempted to stop discovering and “plateau” in the comfort zone of luxury that they are in.
i think that with all the forms of entertainment or luxeries that we have available to us now are hindering the elevation of mankind in that our generation as well as the ones behind us are so consumed with themselves and technology like video games, music, facebook, etc. that a majority of us dont even care about mankind as a whole or its advancement as mental beings and that these technologies are limiting our mental capacities
I think that the quotation is mostly true, as it states that some of the luxuries we rely on in modern times are either over-used, not necessary, and can possibly be hinderances to our rapid development as humans. But I think that alot of the luxuries we do rely on are necessary, such as transportation, communication, entertainment (to an extent), and shelter. While obviously some people go extremely overboard with some of their luxuries, such as fast cars, multiple cell phones, million dollar mansions, and thousands of DVDs probably watched once or twice, the point is that the basics are necessary and the luxuries are not. I am not sure if they actually hinder the elevation of mankind or not, but they are necessary in some way.
I think this quotation is both correct and incorrect. It could be seen as saying that in our time the technologies that we take for granted have made us lazier and slowed our progression. I think that though we do use too much technology today and it has increased our laziness and time wasting skills we also have increased our potential. We now have access to anything and everything that we could want to learn about and so with drive and determination we can be more successful than in the past.
I think Thoreau is saying that often the things that we enjoy in our everyday lives are causing us more harm than good. For example, technology is a huge distraction from homework and other things that we “have” to do because we would rather be using technology. It has made us less focused on the things we should be doing.
That being said i dont neccisarily agree with him. Yes technology is a distraction but that doesn’t make us any less valuable to society or any less intelgent. I am often distracted by technology but im still able to get good grades in school and participate in activities after school. Technology is mearly another thing we have to learn to manage into our busy lives.
Although I do feel that luxuries are indispensable (otherwise they wouldn’t be luxuries) I do not believe that the “hinder the elevation of mankind”. I mean technology has provided so many opportunities for us in the lines of communication, medicine, and science. Although as many of us said in our responses that we have become lazier (which is true) that doesn’t mean we aren’t evolving in different ways that are just as important.
Its true. We indulge in all kinds of dope new phones, ipads, and in general nice things, but we have no real reason ever for why. In reality all life is, is the pursuit of more and newer things. Humans find comfort in belongings and property, because money has quantified every item we subconciously collect stuff to prove our own wealth and happiness. Without modern day distracting products I bet my life would be more productive and fulfilling without the luxury of instant entertainment. For the most part I think people know this and demonstartea it whenever they see something they want and think “I don’t need this…but it would be nice to have”.
He is saying that we are too concerned about the materialistic luxuries we have in our life. The “simpleness” that these gadgets claim to bring to our lives are actually what is complicating our relationships with the world around us.
I studied this quotation in one of my previous English classes and I believe Thoreau is completely right. I agree that having these technologies and advances in our life is actually not advancing anything but rather adding more strife to our life. We are constantly connecting and worried about our technology that it gets in the way of relationships, friendships, etc. What we think about technology is actually having the opposite effect on people and is creating a bruden instead of what it’s supposed to be used for. These luxiuries are creating people to be so materialistic and so dependent on what truly doesn’t matter.
I do agree that gadgets and “luxuries” sometimes cause us more difficulty than living a simple life without it all would but these things are what move our country foward. These are the stepping stones of modern evolution and without these things we would not be as powerful as we are. The more we channel the power of gadgets for good the further we evolve. For example electric cars and solar pannels are great uses of technologies that we can use daily to better the world around us. Yes they can cause diffuculty but if we begin to use them for good there helpful. Even texting is good because it allows us to communicate vital information sometimes more quickly than ever before. I try to look at the positive side of the position with technology we are in.
Yes, technology is not a necessity, it’s a luxury. But sometimes it’s necessary to have luxuries in life. Luxuries are things to enjoy, so I don’t think calling them bad is the correct thing to do. As human beings, we have the capability to enjoy and appreciate all that technology can bring to the table (whether it be for entertainment, helping with homework, or advancing in even more technology).
And responding to Thoreau’s second statement in the quote, i think technology helps the elevation of mankind. All of the new technology (especially in the medical field) helps us learn and discover things that wouldn’t have been fathomable 50 years ago. So i don’t think technology hinders the elevation of mankind, i believe it’s doing just the opposite.
We have a ranch in montana with no cell service, no tv, no radio, no phone, and no computer. I have lived like that for weeks at a time, and it is great. We spend our time fishing or rafting or golfing or hiking, and unless you know what its like there really is no way to explain it to someone. Technology has made some peoples lives better, and some worse. I am glad we have it because if we didn’t we wouldn’t know any different and we wouldn’t understand what we hads or what we were missing t
I agree and disagree. Most technologies we use are to maximize efficiency such as cell phones and computers, the ability to instantly contact someone instantly is favorable as compared to having to use the old ways of sending a letter. However there are technologies that inhibit our growth. Television is the bain of American existence. instead of doing something productive we would rather sit in front of the TV and relax. In the past two days i have been extremely productive whether it be chores or getting my homework done. If television was gone i think America would have much more of a drive to get things done.
I agree with Thoreau in most scenarios. For the most part, technologies and appliances created for the everyday basis gives us the ability to be lazy, and allows us to comfortably fail to achieve our goals. I am as much of a culprit of this as anyone else. However, this can’t be accurate for everybody, as some people either never bother to buy into these fads, or don’t have the money to be able to buy into all of them. Without these technologies, it can be very difficult for some to get things done, and achieve based on manual labor in a technological world. The key to progress in this case is a happy medium.
I agree with what he his saying because there is so much that I could be doing to make my self a better person and expand on myself. Technology gets in the way so many times in my day when instead I could be practicing my bass I’ll end up sitting in front of the television because it easier.
I agreee with david because when we are given technolgy we become use to it and become happy. When these luxaries are taken away we become confused and seem to lose purpose beucase the things we use to work for are now gone.
Thoreau has a great point, that we are so dependent on these “luxuries” or technologies that it is holding us back from growth that is in no way connected to these outside forces like the technologies we rely on daily. The problem is, our entire society IS dependent on them, which makes it even more difficult to step up and become independnent of the technologies we rely on. It becomes an inconvience when only a small amount of the popluation realize they don’t need texting or facebook or whatever it may be, because the rest of the world is out there trying to reach one another through those means of communication. A difference will be made when the society as a whole begins to realize the dependency on these items and obtains the desire to change that dependency, and that is when freedom will be achieved.
these “luxuries” and “comforts” are technologies that we can not live with out. when the whole world revolves around technology one can not take it away. technology keeps us competitive with the rest of the world. i don’t think it is making us worse people to mankind, i think it is actually doing the opposite. technology is always challenging us to produce new ideas that run our world. without them our world would be less competitive.
I agree that luxuries can be come hindrances, but not in all cases. For our generation, technology certainly could become a hindrance, but it doesn’t have to be. I think it’s all about the way we handle “luxuries”, however, with technology it’s hard to draw a distinct line of what’s appropriate usage vs. hindering usage. I think that technology can be used to advance our knowledge of the world, ourselves, the universe, etc. more than we can even understand at this point, but to get there, technology has to be used with that intention. I think that social networking, texting, media, and other forms of technology can be extremely helpful to society, but it’s important for us to step back and realize whether we’re using it to help ourselves, or whether we’re just wasting our time.
I think that technologies are making it harder to connect with the real world. It is becoming so easy to sit and play a game or watch TV instead of facing the horrible things that are happening in our world. The alternate realities in our video games and TV are so much more simple then trying to fix the problems of the world that we try to ignore the problems. That is what technology is. It is an escape from the real world. Even if you watch the news, the stories that are on TV don’t seem to be real but just another TV show with a dramatic plot. Once and a while I will realize that what is happening on the news is reality and it is kind of weird.
I think the quotation holds true in today’s society. The things we all cling to in order to make our lives “better” are really only burdens that take time away from the value of life as it was meant to be. I know my life would be a lot easier if I didn’t have to think about who I need to text or email back and it would force me to have more face to face interactions.
I agree with Thoreau. I believe people have become so dependent on their technology that it creates a barrier from creating strong, concrete friendships, relationships and just simple means of communication. To some extent, society benifits from these Luxaries. Hence, we use technology for medicianal purposes or emergency communications. But overall I think these Luxaries have a negative affect on people because they abuse their opportunities to these things and become too dependent on their technologies. People become less self reliant and personally I want to see myself and the people I surround myself with to have the most potential and confidence to feel they could function on their own terms.
I don’t agree that all of the technology’s we use are “luxuries”. In my life it would be very hard for me to communicate with people other than texting. For whatever reason they may have calling them during the day is not possible and a disruption in their work life. I feel that these technologies make our life easier and if we use them in moderation there is nothing wrong with them. It’s when we start becoming dependant towards them is when we should be concerned.
The luxuries in our life come from the subconscious need to have the nicest things on the market in order to ultimately elevate your status. These luxuries allow us to not only elevate our status but they help us accomplish things that were impossible years ago. They under no circumstance hamper our abilities to grow, rather they help us develop as a society.
A luxury can we differently defined by each person in the end society today would not be able to live without them as they continue to help us grow each day.
I find it hard to agree or disagree with the quotation. Yes, technology is a distraction. It can be called a time waster and you could make the argument that it is a “hindrance”. However the fact if the matter is, technology is not enough of a burden to force people to change. Every new gadget and invention sparks excitement in the consumers eye. It’s how we as people are built. That is why the quotation seems slightly off base. You can call technology whatever you want but at the end of the day every person is proud of how humans can advance and progress. No quotation is enough to stop people from being proud of what they can do and create.
I don’t agree that technologies are a luxury, or that they were meant to be that way in the first place. Technology was “created” to better our efficiency to get in touch with others and to be able to communicate with the world. I think that with technology we are more intuned with the outside world, i mean if we didn’t have T.V. we would be without the knowledge of what is happening in Irag, Afghanistan, Lybia…and the list goes on. Without technology many more people would die because of the lack of innovation in medicine and cures. The luxury aspect of technology was us abusing it and making it a luxury and necessity to our daily lives. Our cell phones have become a part of us now and we “can’t live without them.” I personally know that my cell phone is always with me and it has become a habit to have it.
I think that some technologys are surely luxuries, like a iphone 4 is definetly a luxurie but something like a simple cell phone is a necessity in my eyes. We need it for emergencys and to contact others and family. There are other technologies that are luxuries but i think many are essential to life. Some people may not agree, but imagining life without any of the things we do have would seem hectic and impossible to live without. Even though some technology is a luxurie, it makes everyones life a lot easier. I believe that in some ways having these luxuries is a great thing for mankind. There are many downsides with it disconnecting us from families and friends, but over all it is doing a lot more good for the world and helping us in so many ways. Technology is being used in every aspect of our lives.
This is a tough question. I believe that these new technologies aren’t exactly things we need to live day to day, but they absolutely do help in the process of enhancing our way of life. Though we don’t need them they are there to help our world. If used correctely while still keeping intouch with the most important things like nature and family, then I think human kind will be alright
I disagree with Thoreau seeing that the luxuries of life are here just for what they are called luxury to relax. The luxuries of man are not the necessities and that said people that do go through life with luxury is just for comfort and just that. The advancement of mankind is not depended on what man uses but what they so in life.
I disagree, I feel like dont really need the them. We have just been “lucky” enough to have something made easier by these luxeries and avancements. At the same time if we really needed to we could get rid of them. When I went to Rome I didnt have any technology because it didn;t work there. At first I thought it would be really hard, and the first couple day were really hard I’m not going to lie. After that though it almost seemed like I never had them in the first place. All the luxeries I once thought necisary in my life just became a thing of the past. After my trip I did go back to them but if forced to give everything up I could and I think everyone else could to.