Brave New World

Given the choice … they were both available in the book/movie:

Do you live in the city?

Do you live on the reserve?

(I think :grimacing: I know what I’d prefer)

AND why?

If it’s for my whole life I’d say the city, lots of drugs, sex, and you don’t age, just peg out in your 60’s. However I’m in my late 50’s, so this is a little tricky.

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I’ve had this worked out for over 40 years. Far enough away from the city to be country but not so far away that I can’t get to the city. Within an hour drive is usually about right. We are not talking suburbs with their stamped out houses. My nearest neighbor should be at least out of sight and beyond hearing monkey screams. I hate neighbors. I don’t want to deal with them. I would also never own a home that answers to an HOA. Last stipulation, I need to be near a body of water; a lake, river, or ocean. I’ve been house shopping for over a year. It looks like I will be in Korea 2 more years. Since the war in Ukraine, my money has devalued 25%. I’m stuck until the economy normalizes.

Nope. Doesn’t cut it.

In the Brave New World scenario - city or reserve? and why?

This is a tough one, But I think I’d take the reservation because, although religion is there, so is art. I wouldn’t want to be without art.

Reserve. I’ll rough it.

I found it a tough question.

Fantasy wise, I think hmmm - happy meds, foods, sex, youth…lots of comfort (city wise). Security. Having a place & purpose.

BUT reality. Damn. I do enjoy conflict. I enjoy art. I enjoy outside and the hardships of physical labor. I enjoy cooking.

I’d reluctantly chose the reserve and daydream about escaping to the city. :smirk:

Uh, could somebody pease bring me up to speed on “Brave New World”? I’m not familiar with it, but it sounds interesting. Cliff Note version will be fine.

Saved myself some writing.

Brave New World | Summary, Context, & Reception | Britannica).

:wink:

Edited to add: you’re a savage. Hands down.

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Just a thought. We were all raised as savages. It’s the only life we know.
I lived in downtown Calgary. Height of my career. 15 min city :wink: walk to anywhere. My own small place. Sex, social life. Pretty happy. No kids or responsibility outside myself.
IF that was how we were born and raised, none of us would want the savage lifestyle.

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I think Huxley designed the narrative precisely to show the constant struggle humans have between being natural animals, and their desire to control their environment and nature, and bend it to their will. I don’t think there is one right choice, and that’s deliberate. Whilst we will inevitably use our evolved intellect to try and “improve” our lot, we are and will remain a part of the natural world, and reliant on it. The book is as apropos now as it ever was I think.

FWIW I’d be intrigued by how many people’s answer to the thread OP would change as they aged. A free natural existence holds a great deal of appeal to most of us at some point in our lives, but that also comes at a price of course.

When I first read the book I was 13 or 14 at the time, and couldn’t really comprehend how I’d feel in my late 50’s. So one’s attitude towards such ideas is influenced by our age quite a bit, but then that is probably true of many things.

Thanks, White. Okay, I must go find that book now. That kind of fiction is right up my alley. Wonder how I never heard of it? :thinking: Anyway, just based on the overview, I do believe I would be a Savage. I’ve always preferred to think for myself and play by my own rules. I’ve often said I feel like I was born one to two hundred years too late. Have always felt a strong connection to the Wild West Frontier time periods. :grin:

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I don’t live in a city. I live in an unincorporated area that’s mostly rural. I live on acreage and my nearest neighbor is about 1/2 mile away. I like this because I can do pretty much whatever I want on my property without disturbing my neighbor (I have only one). For example, I like movies, and I can turn up the volume on my big sound system to as loud as I want, even in the middle of the night, without having the neighbor or the cops pounding on my door.

I live close enough to the city that I can get there with a less than one hour drive any time I feel like it. No HOA here, so I can do anything I want on my property (subject to county building codes and local laws).

On the downside, most of the people in the area are rednecks and are highly religious and support Trump.

Up until this, I quite liked the description of your location. Now I’m not so sure anymore.

Ditto. My closest city is 1 1/2 hr away. So in the book - are you picking the reserve or the city?

Are you familiar with it?

A Brave New World