American wit and humor; Evolution (Biology) -- Wit and humor
In every field of thought then, two schools appear, that are divided
on this: Must we forever be at heart high-grade simians? Or are we
at heart something else?
For example, in education, we have in the main two great systems.
One depends upon discipline. The other on exciting the interest.
The teacher who does not recognize or allow for our simian nature,
keeps little children at work for long periods at dull and dry
tasks. Without some such discipline, he fears that his boys will
lack strength. The other system believes they will learn more when
their interest is roused; and when their minds, which are mobile by
nature, are allowed to keep moving.
Or in politics: the best government for simians seems to be based
on a parliament: a talk-room, where endless vague thoughts can be
warmly expressed. This is the natural child of those primeval
sessions that gave pleasure to apes. It is neither an ideal nor
a rational arrangement, of course. Small executive committees would
be better. But not if we are simians.
Or in industry: Why do factory workers produce more in eight hours a
day than in ten? It is absurd. Super-sheep could not do it. But
that is the way men are made. To preach to such beings about the
dignity of labor is futile. The dignity of labor is not a simian
conception at all. True simians hate to have to work steadily: they
call it grind and confinement. They are always ready to pity the
toilers who are condemned to this fate, and to congratulate those
who escape it, or who can do something else. When they see some
performer in spangles risk his life, at a circus, swinging around
on trapezes, high up in the air, and when they are told he must do
it daily, do they pity _him?_ No! Super-elephants would say, and
quite properly, "What a horrible life!" But it naturally seems
stimulating to simians. Boys envy the fellow. On the other hand
whenever we are told about factory life, we instinctively shudder
to think of enduring such evils. We see some old work-man, filling
cans with a whirring machine; and we hear the humanitarians telling
us, indignant and grieving, that he actually must stand in that nice,
warm, dry room every day, safe from storms and wild beasts, and with
nothing to do but fill cans; and at once we groan: "How deadly! What
monotonous toil! Shorten his hours!" His work would seem blissful to
super-spiders,--but to us it's intolerable. "Grind and confinement?"
That's the strong monkey-blood in our veins.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account