<p>From Nov 2007:</p>
<pre><code> “It is a false assumption of mankind to assume the resilience of outdated practices,” said western thinker and philosopher Slavoj Žižek. I agree with Žižek in supporting the statement that it is always necessary to find new solutions to problems. Innovation is paramount to our growth as a civilization, and will perish if not used, which can be exemplified through literature, history, and current world affairs.
Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World tells the haunting story of a futuristic society where the constituents are bred from test tubes and then psychologically conditioned to obey orders from the totalitarian government that rules them. Bernard Marx, a main character in the novel, recognizes the brainwashing that his fellow citizens are influenced by, and seeks to overthrow the government. He remembers that in times past, the citizenry often used rebellion as a means to free themselves from oppression, but due to the fact that the people around him are conditioned to obey the government, he recognizes that rebellion would not work. This literary example clearly shows that coventional solutions are not always useful, therefore demonstrating that innovative thinking is needed to keep up with the changing times and help us solve the contemporary problems of today.
The 1960 presidential candidates debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon is yet another example of how innovation is needed to solve problems as opposed to relying on conventional methods. The Kennedy-Nixon debate was the first televised presidential debate, which meant that it would be receiving ample news coverage in different media forms. Nixon, the presidential incumbent at the time, was very confident about winning because of his knowledge of the policy issues and his popularity with the American constituency. However, Nixon was short, often wore wrinkled clothes, and overall lacked aesthetic appeal. Kennedy, on the other hand, was tall, charismatic, well-dressed, and very good-looking. When the debate was seen on television, Kennedy looked poised and confident next to Nixon, who had sweat dripping from his brow due to the harsh camera lights. This resulted in Kennedy winning the election. THe 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate shows the necessity of innovation because Kennedy knew that the television would give voters a whole new means of evaluation–aesthetics. THis also shows that conventional methods, such as those Nixon relied on (policy targetting) wouldn’t stay resilient.
Innovation is also necessary in today’s world affairs. In our industrialized world, more smog and pollution is causing a depetion of the ozone layer, which is beginning to take its toll in the form of global warming. To stop the problem, we obviously can’t stop driving cars and operating factories, because that would wreak havoc. This situation requires humans to be innovative and to think of new ways to conserve energy and our planet.
As shown through literature, history, and world affairs, innovation and new solutions to problems are always necessary if we as a civilization want to advance to our full potential. And as Slavoj Žižek observed, we cannot assume the resilience of outdated traditions.
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<p>Eh. Kind of half-assed description of Brave New World, so feel free to correct me. haha.</p>
<p>I DON’T HAVE TO TAKE THE SAT ANYMORE!! WHEEEE!!</p>