[s0cks]

Had a discussion with my parents about this. They were unable to name 1 inherently good thing about civilization compared to pre-civilization (tribes of hunter-gatherers).

- Modern Medicine: Mainly invented to defend against diseases caused by civilization. Tribesmen suffered rarely from serious illnesses. They had healthy diets and virus' were unable to feed as they do now off dense populations. Natural defenses and strong immune systems helped fend off the smaller ones. Oh and look at the new super-bugs!

- Life Expectancy: Its irrelevant. You don't worry you won't reach 150. They didn't worry if they didn't reach 50. Though current hunter-gatherers, without severe injury or disease, have been known to live as long or longer than their civilized counterparts.

- Education: More of an education on how to be civilized then real knowledge. Tribesmen knew what they needed to survive and be happy. Perhaps now we know too much?

- Leisurely activities and items: Are these just bandages for the wounds of civilization? Hunter-gatherers worked half the time we do now, if you can call it work.... Gathering and hunting was also considered fun. Many happy nights of dance and song around the campfire! They had much more sleep and lived each day as it came. They did not dwell on the past or future. Nowadays we tend to not to think of anything but, and the present has been lost. Civilization also brought long working hours, and innitially slavery too.

- Travel the world: The world was a much larger place back then. Due to obvious speed restrictions much of their landbase was far too vast to have ever got bored. They also moved around from place to place.

- Hierarchy : There was no hierarchy within many tribes. Everyone was equal and shared equally. If certain members did try attain more authority they were simply ignored and left behind as the tribe moved onwards. Civilization has given us abuse and violence through power and corruption. You may be abused by your superiors (police, government, etc...) but NEVER must you abuse them. There is no equal rights except among people of the same class.

Overall, I still can't think of anything that has been absolutely beneficial. We live in a time where we destroy our landbase for short-term benefits. We are a slave to the wage. We have become docile and weak and can no longer fend for ourselves. We suffer greater amounts of depression, suicide, mental problems, illnesses, etc...

Unfortuantly I rely on civilization now, so I'm stuck with it. But it just seems to me we made a great mistake.

[Schadenfreude]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('S0cks', 'N')ame 1 Good Thing About Civilization

[s0cks]

Would a camp fire not do that?

[mos6507]

This meme is just another variation of the usual nostalgia. People have different eras they'd like to go back to but the grass isn't always greener when you look at it through rose colored glasses, especially when you are talking about a time of prehistory that is so poorly understood.

I have to say one thing I appreciate about the modern era is the greater knowledge we have about the universe that they could only infer from a mystical standpoint.

[GreyGhost]

I'll name three:

Beer

Pink Floyd

The hubble deep field


One could go on. Perhaps you're using the word "good" in a way that I hadn't previously been familiar with?

[Narz]

Brazilian waxing!

[Grifter]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('GreyGhost', '
')The hubble deep field

[Ebyss]

The aqueduct?

[kpeavey]

Swiffer

[kpeavey]

Modern Civilization has brought us the ability, perhaps the destiny, to return to a state of pre-civilization.

[killJOY]

Jazz.

Homosexual camp.

Snow plows.

The noble savage fallacy.

Et al.

[IslandCrow]

Woolly socks

[MacG]

Laphroaig

[jlw61]

Your parents are obviously tired of arguing nonsense with you.

Democracy, free markets, and rule of law.

Toilets, hot baths, and really good peanut butter.

Oranges, apples, and pears to anyone who want them.

Roller coasters, hot dogs, and the Frisbee.

Bikinis, razors, and KY jelly.

Science, advanced metallurgy and the Ruger mini-14.

Go ahead and drag your sorry butt back to the stone age, I'll be staying somewhere close to the bandages of civilization.

[JeeBoomba]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('s0cks', '-') Hierarchy : There was no hierarchy within many tribes. Everyone was equal and shared equally. If certain members did try attain more authority they were simply ignored and left behind as the tribe moved onwards. Civilization has given us abuse and violence through power and corruption. You may be abused by your superiors (police, government, etc...) but NEVER must you abuse them. There is no equal rights except among people of the same class.

[paimei01]

Returning to the way before civilization appeared ? I say it is possible, but only if we experienced civilization before.

So a good thing about civilization is that it makes people know lots of things, and become bored with them and finding out that the simple things are the best

This can happen after a period of time spent in a civilized society, most of the time it does not happen, and people begin to think that all the stuff around them is important, and should always be there no matter what

What I want to say is that we needed this civilization in order for us to value the simple things we had many years ago. The question is : did those people from that time valued their way of life ? I look at the American Indians and I envy them. It appears they knew that their way was better.
But there are civilizations of the past which I do not envy, and they did not seem to know much. In fact any society except hunter gatherers was already "civilized" and had slaves and masters, and everything we have today

Now we cannot recreate the society of hunter gatherers. But we can enjoy simple things, and be happy

[Atlantean_Relic]

Well you got medicine, Plumbing, and oddly enough I'm partial to electricity.

[RonMN]

Victorias Secret

[jboogy]

I hear what your saying socks, the wording of your request may be what's sowing some dissent. Maybe you meant to ask, " are the positives of modern society outweighed by the negatives?"
Because I luv's me some AC, indoor plumbing, refrigeration, electricity, gas engines, watertight houses, waterbeds, internet tubes, fixed dogs and cats, sat. TV, DVD, a large variety of food in a building 20 minutes away, etc. .... but, I don't like, slaving for the man (me)to pay the electric bill, I don't like my addiction to oil enabling oil companies to subvert and effect entire countries to feed my addiction, and I don't like half my countries population taking some kind of mind-altering chemicals to subdue the demons of stress and the pain of living, I don't like entire sections of the seas going dead because ind. agriculture doesn't know what to do with the run-off that results from my desire to get food out of a building twenty minutes away, I don't like my country self-medicating with reality shows, pro-wrestling, and the latest pantyless pop-tart escapades to avoid taking a look at the real world, I don't like greed, and the pursuit of profits to the detriment of everything else, slowly turning this world to shit.

[auscanman]

It's the best computer game out there!