Well, It seems that there is in actuality a reason to believe that I am, that we are, in fact special. That we are benefited from advanced that many now do not have and that all just a small while ago did not have. Among many things is the advancements of pure, clean, drinkable water available at large - seemingly endless - quantities (to those like myself).
Since 1900 there have been major improvements made to water purification and distribution. Of these improvements the most impressive to me is the recent process of UV purification which provides cheap clean water. For a penny 60 gallons of pure drinkable water can be produced. This creates the reasonable possibility of eradicating water born diseases like Cholera, Typhoid Fever, and Dysentery among the whole of mankind.
However, it is guilt, not finance, that is the ultimate motivator for improving the conditions (or sharing what we got) of our fellows. MIT did a study in Brazil on purification showing how well guilt and scholastic can work at benefiting others. Hopefully more inventions and good intentions will make it so I can drink my bottled water in peace...
Enjoyed your post Shaun!
ReplyDeleteWow--I hadn't thought of guilt being such a powerful motivator for improving the general conditions of humankind. But that definitely makes sense! It seems that a sense of guilt can be manipulated to motivate us to do all sorts of things, a fact taken advantage of by advertisers and Mary Kay consultants who make money every year by mercilessly guilting women into buying the next hot shade of lipstick. But seeing as you are male, you probably wouldn't identify very well with that experience. :)
ReplyDeleteWell... the guilt idea was actually more of a joke. Not that it's not a POWERFUL motivator, and not that it hasn't caused people to do wonderful things, but I was stressing a baser reason than most of these noble engineers had for doing what they have done...
ReplyDeleteIs greed more noble than guilt?