Oct 4 in Words of Wisdom
A Radically condensed History of Postindustrial Life by David Foster Wallace.
“The more things change, the more things stay the same” is something that I would often hear one of my dear friends say.
I now invite you to take some time to read the (brief enough) short story by David Foster Wallace “A Radically condensed History of Postindustrial Life”.
“When they were introduced, he made a witticism, hoping to be liked. She laughed very hard, hoping to be liked. Then each drove home alone, staring straight ahead, with the very same twist to their faces.
The man who’d introduced them didn’t much like either of them, though he acted as if he did, anxious as he was to preserve good relations at all times. One never knew, after all, now did one now did one now did one.”
Q.
What kind of question is that? I guess… “One never knew”.
Q.
When he says the phrase "now did one”, repeated three times, perhaps due to the cyclical nature of the narrative and the repetitive patterns of human behaviour. But is it as simple as that?
Perhaps, yes. Maybe, the absurdity lies in how individuals often find themselves in similar predicaments despite the passage of time. But then, is all our effort meaningless?
does any of it truly matter in the grand scheme of things?
Q.
What? despite of your efforts, despite life changes, sweat, tears, despite you have given your everything, does it not matter?
Q.
I suppose so. On one side, there is a gloomy cycle where people fail to learn, and a cycle is formed. On the other, more optimistically, there is the opportunity to live life.
There is the opportunity to know that despite it all, “the more things change, the more things stay the same”.
Q.
I suppose one can find some comfort in that, I mean, “After all, now did one”.
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A Radically condensed History of Postindustrial Life by David Foster Wallace.
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