Professor Pie

The first of hopefully many dives into the mind of Jacob Barnwell. This time we’re talkin about humans and bee hives. Interested? Hit the jump for the full conversation.

Walker: Anthropology is shifting my opinions on life.

Jacob: Yeah man it’ll do that, learning about other cultures is the only way to recognize that ours actually isn’t so superior. That’s a good excerpt tho, we may be vastly superior economically but that just makes us think we can buy anything we want. That it’s just a matter of having enough resources and making the trade. I think that tends to make us think that having money is equivalent to earning it, because all it becomes is a means to some materialistic end. People can’t distinguish between having a thing and having something they have truly earned. I think now it might all trace back to our economy, I mean now that I think about it, propaganda shapes our worldview and values, and the most propaganda we get comes from TV, radio, billboards, etc., all advertising for products and things. And of course their goal is to make you think you’ll be happier with whatever thing than without it. Weird dude, that’s crazy cuz back in the day there wasn’t really much advertising and we were happier with less, but now we all want a little more, always something else to get and we’re not happy till we can afford it. Weird. Sorry bout the rant, I was just goin with the train of thought. Lol I bet those happy cultures don’t have millions of ads a day telling them they need more stuff. Ha and that wasn’t planned for me to relate back to advertising, just happened.

Walker: Haha no I like that. Advertisement is definitely selling happiness. We’re actually taught that. Grey heads talk about back in the good old days and it’s actually quite true, although it’s dismissed as bull. Dude I was thinking how much happier I’d probly be, if I had been born into a tribe in the Amazon. Trekking through South America or New Guinea is now a new personal goal.

Jacob: Ha yeah man, that’s a good goal. The happier thing might be questionable though bc I think happiness is too relative to judge by an objective scale. But actually you might be happier bc you’re more content with what you have, idk.

Walker: I actually already took that into consideration cuz it’s in that chapter. I think the concept of happiness of tribal peoples is much more center on kinship, emotional fulfillment, and honesty. And there is less social striation, i.e. class division, which allots more equality.

Jacob: Yeah exactly. I think it also has a lot to do with the ignorance is bliss thing. Development was definitely a good thing though.

Walker: Definitely. Good discussion haha.

Jacob: Ha yeah. We’ll eventually get to an equilibrium though even with technology. But I personally think it will be as a hive species as ridiculous as that might sound. A superorganism.

Walker: I can see that happening in the far future. Like the humans in Wall-E that’r all hooked up to the TVs

Jacob: I can see it’s already happening. It’s been generations but technology is what’s really going to enable it.

Walker: How so? (that’s posed to the happening for generations)

Jacob: I mean look around you. Look at the city you’re in, how different is that from a human body where millions of cells operate independently with their own self interest in mind, and the result is what we call a living organism. How different is it? Do you ever think how amazing it is how everything runs so smoothly with cars and people and everyone all doing their own thing but it’s all coordinated without someone on top directing everything. You think our brain micromanages every cell’s activities or the activities within those cells? It’s the same. I mean look at how intricate our social networks have become. Look at the fact that an event can happen anywhere on the planet and within minutes everyone, people everywhere know about it and are on the same page. At least those with computers. Even look at something like the rapidly growing rave culture, I’ve got a decent argument for that and to support this all but it’s not fully developed bc I’ve only been contemplating it for a few months, so i don’t really want to give it bc it would be too easy to refute parts.It’s just food for thought. I don’t think you’ll agree with it. Maybe after I have thought about it more I can present it better.

Walker: Fair enough. Honestly the argument you make is very potent, but do you ever think that it’s completely wrong?

Jacob: Haha no not at all. I think it’s pretty right so far, but I haven’t got all the reasons down so it’s bound to shift. The only reason I told you is cuz I knew you’d disagree and think it’s ridiculous.

Walker: Not at all. I think it’s plausible. I’m not getting at my opinion. I’m analyzing your thoughts on your thoughts. That is, have you convinced yourself this is right, or do you somewhat doubt it?

Jacob: No I haven’t convinced myself anything, I don’t do that, but I do try to make connections. If I see something that totally refutes this I’d abandon it, but so far since I’ve been thinking about it as a possibility all I’ve seen is evidence to support it and refute other ideas, so I don’t know, but it makes sense in a creepy way.

Although he definitely put a lot of thought into these ideas, he cites

The Lucifer Principle

by Howard Bloom as a source of inspiration.