by Delerium | Aug 23, 2020 | What is the value of a human life in 2020?
“$10 million. At least that’s the figure that was generated by Kip Viscusi, an economist from Vanderbilt University. Viscusi derives this value from safety regulations in organizations like the CDC, EPA, and department of transportation. This figure is based on American lives, not global. But before we get too hyped on being worth millions, let’s consider the honest reality of this. Jeff Bezos is worth $200 billion, and the homeless man on the corner has $10 dollars to his name. We can put a price-tag on a human life, but that does not mean the price is fair.”
by Delerium | May 29, 2020 | Personal, What would you change about our society
“I know people will hate me for saying this, but if everyone went vegan, it would reduce a lot of air/water pollution, cut methane emissions that are contributing to global warming, and allow us to make MUCH better use of arable farming land & fresh water. Meat production is pretty wasteful and polluting per calorie of food it provides.”
by Delerium | May 29, 2020 | The Future, What is the greatest threat to the future of our species
“Naturally, this question implies the ‘survival’ of our species, but I interpret it slightly differently. As I see it, the concern is for the wellbeing, or health, of our species. From this standpoint, the greatest threat is already in full swing. The threat is that we become so disconnected from the natural world that we forget what it feels like to be alive. The majority of humans are clinging to the memories and instincts of our ancestors and the few indigenous humans left. Yet, in 20 years, who’s to say we won’t have gone that much further down the path we’re on that we forget these feelings and memories altogether? This is highly probable in my opinion and would be like getting sick, throwing out the medicine, and eventually just getting so used to being sick that we choose not to get better.
Krishnamurti, a great Indian saint, said, ‘it’s no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. Similarly, Ram Dass, a spiritual teacher from the US, said, ‘we must first realize we are in prison in order to escape.’ To me, all of these words are as relevant today as ever. We have normalized an illness and imprisoned ourselves in this reality, all the while hiding the key.
I once read a short piece called, ‘There’s a Man In the Habit of Hitting Me on the Head With an Umbrella.’ The character was followed by someone hitting him on the head with an umbrella. At first, it annoyed him greatly, however he became accustomed to it and eventually addicted. He found that he couldn’t live without it. This story symbolized the power of habit – that when we habituate ourselves to something, even if it is destructive to our wellbeing, we have tremendous difficulty changing the inertia. I believe our collective society is becoming habituated to many harmful patterns, and in the process, becoming addicted to them. If we do not begin to loosen this pattern, the knot will get tighter and tighter until there is no hope of undoing it.”
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