But while I was sitting in the driver's seat of a car where the temperature inside the cab was well below zero, and being towed down the road in my pic-up being driven by my dad, I couldn't help but think about this quote by Chuang Tzu:
Whoever uses machines does all his work like a machine. He who does his work like a machine grows a heart like a machine, and he who carries the heart of a machine in his breast loses his simplicity. It is not that I do not know of such things; I am ashamed to use them.
4 comments:
Love the Chuang-tzu qoute. It is one thing to be ignorant of machines, and another to see their limitations. This one hits home for me.
How accurate in that the hearts of people in our machine driven culture have become so cold. They have to be to keep things running.
I have been working at some warehouses and plants recently to help support my wife. Working in these places was a new experience for me. I got a very personal taste of what it means to have a heart like a machine.
You have to be mechanical in order to keep moving products down the assembly line. The outside world disappears and the world of nature is almost absent while you work your 10 hour shifts. It is easy to forget the living, breathing world that you are always connected to while you work this kind of job.
You go pay check to pay check, and hour by hour while on site. Life takes on a predictable routine, the mind is easily dulled. I work hard to keep my senses sharp, and my alert while working. But, even to me I can see how easy it can be to just be lulled into believing that this is all that exists in the world.
Hi Filip T,
You wrote: "Love the Chuang-tzu qoute. It is one thing to be ignorant of machines, and another to see their limitations. This one hits home for me."
ME: I'm glad you liked it.
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You wrote: "How accurate in that the hearts of people in our machine driven culture have become so cold. They have to be to keep things running."
ME: I agree with you. We simply have to silence many voices in ourselves to keep this thing going. But, like Ran Prieur has said, how would we eat without the machinery of industrial civilization. We've really painted ourselves into a corner on this one.
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You wrote: "I have been working at some warehouses and plants recently to help support my wife.Working in these places was a new experience for me. I got a very personal taste of what it means to have a heart like a machine."
Me: That has to be tough. In a few weeks I start training for a part time postal job. It's going to be interesting because I've never had an official job like this. I've either been in buisness for myself or worked for relatives. Annie couldn't believe it when I told her that I've never had a job interview in 34 years.
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You wrote: "You have to be mechanical in order to keep moving products down the assembly line. The outside world disappears and the world of nature is almost absent while you work your 10 hour shifts. It is easy to forget the living, breathing world that you are always connected to while you work this kind of job."
ME: Again, I agree. My dad worked in the same factory for 30 years. I grew up seeing the effects of what assembly line labor can have on a human being. Looking back at the experience he handled it much better then other factory workers though.
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You wrote: "You go pay check to pay check, and hour by hour while on site. Life takes on a predictable routine, the mind is easily dulled. I work hard to keep my senses sharp, and my alert while working. But, even to me I can see how easy it can be to just be lulled into believing that this is all that exists in the world."
ME: I wish I was there to help you in some way. Hang in there.
Again, I agree with you. And this is why I sometimes think that no amount of inner strength that a person has can prevent them from becoming cold like a machine. 20 to 30 years of doing the work that you're doing just has its effects. And it's really sad when the person blames themself for becoming cold hearted or whatever else may happen to them. It goes back to one of those myths that Mother Culture keeps whispering in our ears: If only we were better people things would work perfectly.
It makes me feel good that you see it for what it is.
In my case, I am lucky. I know that no matter what happens I will not let myself be trapped in this kind of job. It is necessary right now, though.
I am amazed by the people working in the warehouse around me who actually really want to work their long term. In fact, it is their ideal job.
I have to scratch my head and shrug because I can not relate to that.
But, I suppose that I forget sometimes that not all people in our culture feel their direct connection to a living, breathing world. It might even be safe to say most do not. The Christian world view is a strong influence. This world is here for us to use, and we are its master's.
I just read an article in the magazine SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MIND which says flat out that our assumptions about humans being at the pinnacle of evolution is no longer accurate. Nor do the animals currently sharing the planet with us lay below us on the evolutionary tree. When I read this, I laughed out loud because it has taken this long for scientists to admit this openly in a mainstream media source.
Here it is:
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=one-world-many-minds
Hi Filip,
Thank you for the link.
You wrote: "In my case, I am lucky. I know that no matter what happens I will not let myself be trapped in this kind of job."
ME: That's good to hear. It's like Ed Abbey once said, the best job is the one with an ending date.
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You wrote: "I am amazed by the people working in the warehouse around me who actually really want to work their long term. In fact, it is their ideal job."
ME: That really is amazing. I usually work under the assumption that atleast 90% of the population hate their jobs.
What kind of warehouse work are you doing?
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You wrote: "I have to scratch my head and shrug because I can not relate to that."
ME: I use to be able to relate to this. A strong work ethic runs deep on my Mom's side of the family. According to a few of my relatives, no matter what kind of job you have it should be appreciated and liked. Of course that rubbed off on me a little.
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You wrote: "But, I suppose that I forget sometimes that not all people in our culture feel their direct connection to a living, breathing world. It might even be safe to say most do not."
ME: I think you're safe in saying that.
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You wrote: "The Christian world view is a strong influence. This world is here for us to use, and we are its master's."
Yes, along with the Cartesian world view.
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You wrote: "I just read an article in the magazine SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MIND which says flat out that our assumptions about humans being at the pinnacle of evolution is no longer accurate. Nor do the animals currently sharing the planet with us lay below us on the evolutionary tree. When I read this, I laughed out loud because it has taken this long for scientists to admit this openly in a mainstream media source.
ME: That is funny. The sad part is that we know this when we're children then it's socialized out of us.
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