Re: virus: Virus: Sociological Change (fwd)

Alex Williams (thantos@decatl.alf.dec.com)
Fri, 29 Nov 1996 09:31:12 -0500 (EST)


Forwarded message:
>From daemon Fri Nov 29 06:42:52 1996
Date: Fri, 29 Nov 96 11:33:17 GMT
From: jonesr@gatwick.Geco-Prakla.slb.com
Message-Id: <9611291133.AA04820@musca.gatwick.Geco-Prakla.slb.com>
To: thantos@decatl.alf.dec.com
Subject: Re: virus: Virus: Sociological Change

thantos@decatl.alf.dec.com wrote:

> > Can there not be a distinction between Happiness and Harmony? When I
spoke of
> > harmony, and used the term "happiness", I didn't think that it'd send
us off on a
> > tangent. Wrong! When I used happiness, I meant to make it clear that
it's
> > happiness with other people that I was refering to. You can still have
a shit job,
> > that you hate, but you'll be treated well as an employee, and the wages
would
> > be good (in an ideal world only --> see: John Lewis Partnership:
Waitrose!)
>
> I don't think that distinction's valid. How Harmonious am I going to
> be if I'm not Happy? If I'm displeased, its in my best interest, and
> those who seek harmony /with/ me to see that I'm /made/ Happy.

OK, quick redefine of what I mean by "Harmony". I - in this sense, anyhow
- take
it to mean the Social "happiness" of the people. I do not mean the Personal
Happiness of each person within the state. To acheive that would require
genius
of political theory, and a damn good state. It won't happen. The Harmony I'm
talking about is that of people not being prejudiced, or not living in fear,
etc...

Is that more helpful?

>
> There is a basic incompatibility between having a shit job that I hate
> and the wages being `good.' If I hate the job, I'm not being paid
> enough to make me think its worth doing or I wouldn't think its a shit
> job.

Now tell me: If you were paid an enormous sum of money (whatever figure
you want) to,
for example, get up at an "usociable hour", and empty cess pits with your
bare hands
(example only, I'm being unnecessarily disgusting ;), that would be a
pretty shit -
pun definately intended - job, agreed?

> Here we butt again on the link between Happiness and Harmony.

Yup!

"Life's a bitch, and then you marry one..."
-???

Drakir
-----------
Richard Jones
jonesr@gatwick.geco-prakla.slb.com
-----------
"We are the New Breed,
We are the Future."
-----------