A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
The older I get the more I find to detest in the modern world: the aggressively secular society, the moral emptiness, the crass materialism (though I like markets), and on and on and on. Yet three years ago, my family was blessed by the modern medical technology that allowed my little two pound premature grandson to live (and now to thrive). A few months ago I had surgery that a few years before would have been dangerous--now it's routine. Antibiotics have given all of us extra years.
The most obvious benefit of the modern world is modern medicine and drugs that prolong life. But there are a lot of other things.
Here's my question. Excluding modern medicine, what are your five favorite things that the modern world has given to those of us lucky enough to live today. Here's my list:
1. Eyeglasses (especially bifocals). Otherwise I would have spent most of my life looking at life as if in a thick fog. Generations of people, especially the elderly, were denied a full life.
2. Hot Water on Demand. Can you imagine going back to old days of the Saturday night bath in water heated on a stove?
3. The Internet. Yes, there are horrible things on the web (pornography being perhaps the worst). But it has opened a whole new world--no matter where you are, if you are connected you have a world of information available to you. It allowed us to create a community like Ricochet, where like-minded people can engage in civil, thoughtful conversation.
4. Air travel. It's often a pain while it's happening, but we have virtually conquered distance. Families can live far apart, yet see each other often.
5. Food. It wasn't all that long ago that people ate what they grew or could buy from local markets. Now we have fresh food from all over the world available in our markets: and if we don't want to cook it, we can go to a restaurant and have someone cook it for us.
What are your favorites?
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Comments:
Nov '10
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
1. Indoor plumbing in general. Forget the limited bathing, how about having to use an outhouse?
2. The internet.
3. Cell phones with access to said internet.
4. Central heat and air conditioning.
5. Refrigeration. Without which we would be constantly eating spoiled food.
I can't remember who, but someone once pointed out to me that, on the scores of indoor plumbing, climate control, and fresh food we all live today substantially better than Louis XIV. Think about it.
Dec '10
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
1. Travel - the automobile came before the airplane. In the mid 19th century, a journey from where Boise is now to where Portland is now would take the better part of a month. Now it's 7 hours by car, 1 by plane.
2. Air conditioning - I'm an Eskimo at heart
3. Telephones - but there are as many times when I detest cell phones as when I like them
4. Cameras - even though we've been the world's worst parents for recording the lives of our children
5. Readily available bacon
Edited on April 26, 2012 at 2:31amJun '10
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
I grew up in a small town in the fifties. Most people had indoor plumbing but not everyone. I've used an outhouse--not a pleasant experience, even though the weather was nice. Think about using when when it's ten below.
By the time I got to high school, I think everyone had converted to indoor plumbing. I remember one Halloween evening some friends and I stole an old unused wood outhouse and set it afire on Main Street. We didn't get caught but it was a close run thing.
Edited on April 26, 2012 at 2:37amMar '12
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
tabula rasa:
1. Eyeglasses (especially bifocals). Otherwise I would have spent most of my life looking at life as if in a thick fog. Generations of people, especially the elderly, were denied a full life.
Eyeglasses are my absolute favorite too. But did you know that they were invented in the Middle Ages? Speaking of "modern" I think that very word was coined in the 13th century.
Jun '10
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
Michael Collins
tabula rasa:
1. Eyeglasses (especially bifocals). Otherwise I would have spent most of my life looking at life as if in a thick fog. Generations of people, especially the elderly, were denied a full life.
Eyeglasses are my absolute favorite too. But did you know that they were invented in the Middle Ages? Speaking of "modern" I think that very word was coined in the 13th century. · 2 minutes ago
I'm sure you're right that they've been around a long time. I think modern technology has allowed them to be much perfected in the modern area. So please give me a mulligan on that one.
Mar '11
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
I feel the urge to quote from The Life of Brian.
Dec '10
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
tabula rasa
Michael Collins
tabula rasa:
1. Eyeglasses (especially bifocals). Otherwise I would have spent most of my life looking at life as if in a thick fog. Generations of people, especially the elderly, were denied a full life.
Eyeglasses are my absolute favorite too. But did you know that they were invented in the Middle Ages? Speaking of "modern" I think that very word was coined in the 13th century. · 2 minutes ago
I'm sure you're right that they've been around a long time. I think modern technology has allowed them to be much perfected in the modern area. So please give me a mulligan on that one. · 0 minutes ago
Didn't Ben Franklin invent bi-focals?
Jun '10
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
Brilliant.
Feb '11
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
Antibiotics and anesthetics.
Dec '11
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
The conveniences of modern life are amazing. I am grateful everyday.
I am surprise that no one mentioned the computer or integrated chip.
Recently I cannot imagine life without e-books, i-pods, i-phones, or i-pads. How is it that such luxuries become necessities?
Let us not forget the all important Wash Toilet: Seats one in climate controlled heated comfort and sprays heated water at the end to the places where the sun does not shine. It makes the lowly outhouse seem like the dark ages.
Tabula, which third world country did you grow up in? :)
Edited on April 26, 2012 at 4:47pmAug '11
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
It's hard to improve most of the items already mentioned. I think back to my parents upbringing in the Depression and pretty much everything I have in my life is a wonderful addition that makes life almost too easy.
1. I hate manual shift...a huge shout out to whoever invented automatic. Besides...I have to have at least one hand free so I can text while driving.
2. Air-Conditioning. No way, no how I survive without a/c.
3. Women's hair products. Sorry, but any woman who had to live through a Tony perm when they were young will be nodding her head. Hairdryers with bonnets, hair curlers? Need I say more?
4. Electricity. When it's off, nothing much works...including me.
5. The Internet. Amazing capabilities and I think it's only going to get better...as long as the government keeps it's mitts off of it.
Edited on April 26, 2012 at 3:25amApr '11
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
I'd add light, comfortable, casual clothing in a variety of natural and synthetic materials to the list. I'll probably get some pushback on this one from those of you who lament the slovenly appearance of 21st-century Americans. But when I see old photographs or paintings of women in complicated (hoopskirts, drawstring bodices), heavy (wool, thick cotton), multi-layered (petticoats, crinolines), inconvenient (dresses for all kinds of hard physical work), constrictive (corsets, whalebone stays), hot (all of the above), I rejoice that I can wear shorts and flip-flops and t-shirts during the summer and jeans and sweatshirts in the winter and it's all perfectly okay and appropriate.
Apr '11
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
Advances and improvements in materials (not just for clothing) are one of the glories of modern life. When you consider that until very recently, many everyday domestic items were made of stuff like oak, leather, and cast iron, our 21st-century lives seem cushy indeed.
Jun '10
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
10 cents:
I am surprise that no one mentioned thecomputer or integrated chip.
. . . .
Tabula, which third world country did you grow up in? :) · 36 minutes ago
Your reference to the computer is apt, but we've also forgotten another enabler of the Internet: fiber optic cable and the electronics that turns streams of light into a medium with a virtually unlimited capacity to carry little packets of data at lightning speed. Without the vast fiber networks, the Internet as we know it would not exist.
As to your question, I grew up in the Republic of Southern Utah. But you need to remember that I'm old (60) and that I grew up in a small, relatively modest, farming community. As I said, most folks had long before moved to indoor flush toilets (including my parents), but a few operational outhouses still existed back in the fifties.
Edited on April 26, 2012 at 4:41amNov '11
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
No ironing. Add washing machines and dryers. I have the big cast iron pot of my grandmother's (and my mom growing up) used to wash clothes- also with homemade soap. (Arkansas)
May '11
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
1. Public water and sewer systems.
2. Home laundry.
3. Safe food. (Quantity is one thing, safety is another.)
4. GPS.
5. You may find this one odd, but for the millions of Americans who find it important to save and invest: mutual funds.
Jul '11
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
1) 200 dollar solar panel subsidized to 5 dollars 2) Colombian hookers 3) Marlboro lights 4) AK 47's given to killers 5) the Chevy Volt
Sep '10
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
1. Airplanes! (I mean, just look at my avatar. I'm not just thinking of air travel. There's aerobatics, and just flying for the joy of it.)
2. Computers. Not just for teens to giggle on the internet, but for actual computations. It's fun to get answers to complicated numerical questions.
3. Washing machines. Life would be awfully hard without them.
4. Refrigerators.
5. Antibiotics.
Edited on April 26, 2012 at 6:32amNov '10
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us
All great picks above. Only other things I might add would be oil extraction and refinement technologies and rocket science giving us satellites.
Edited on April 26, 2012 at 9:25amNov '10
Re: A Cranky Critic of Modernism Lists His Favorite Things the Modern World Has Given Us