I’ve been recommending this clip from the Conan O’Brien show to anyone willing to listen (many simply back away, slowly…). It’s side-splittingly funny, and about as true as anything I’ve ever heard. Unbeknownst to Louis CK, he speaks to the existential condition of “restlessness” that Tocqueville believed would particularly infect a democratic people, rendering them incapable of satisfaction and inciting them to frenetic and unfulfillable activity. Enjoy – and weep.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
“You’re in a chair in the sky, you non-contributing ZERO!”
That is awesome.
But just wait till the zero’s come home from their sky-chairs to roost. Then we’re all well and truly $%^$%&@$%!
“existential condition of “restlessness” that Tocqueville believed would particularly infect a democratic people, rendering them incapable of satisfaction and inciting them to frenetic and unfulfillable activity.”
How Tocqueville was able to so accurately predict modern internet porn and the incessant masturbation it has induced beats (pun intended) me.
Now thats a smack up side the head…..beautiful! Funny how instant gratification causes inflation that erodes the currency of gratification.
This guy is on to something.
This video clip reminded me of Peggy Noonan’s wonderful article in Forbes magazine back in the early 90′s.
She wrote, “I think we have lost the old knowledge that happiness is overrated—that, in a way, life is overrated. We have lost, somehow, a sense of mystery—about us, our purpose, our meaning, our role. Our ancestors believed in two worlds, and understood this to be the solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short one. We are the first generations of man that actually expected to find happiness here on earth, and our search for it has caused such-unhappiness.”
Our technological advances have improved our lives. I am grateful for electric razors and antibiotics, but I am not sure we are better people and we certainly are not happier. Maybe cleaner, healthier, but
not better.
Yes, very funny and very true. Odd that I had not seen this guy before. I guess I just don’t hang around with the right people.
Mark, Ms. Noonan’s remarks in that column are typical of her overmedicated bliss bunny writing style. She is quoting Thomas Hobbes, the vicious statist adored by republicans. The more one explores better writers, like Kirkpatric Sale, Thomas DiLorenzo, and Clyde Wilson, the less one is likely to be impressed with the airheaded (and uually derivative) nonsense generated by Ms. Noonan.
“life is overrated”… oh, please, Peggy.
Ed,
In varying moods, I’ve enjoyed equal pleasure from reading Noonan and Dilorenzo. Meden agan. Indeed, the good life allows for an occasional moment of overmedication.
Mark Medinnus