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Quotes from G.K. Chesterton that make me think of Facebook and/or culture and technology in general:
FACEBOOKERS ARE POSSESSED…“Dual personality is not so very far from diabolic possession.”
QUITE TRUE… “This weakness in civilization is best described by saying that it cares more for science than for truth.”
WHAT FACEBOOK DOES TO A PERSON… “What does seem to me to have slackened or weakened is not so much the connection between a conscience and conduct clearly approved by consience, as the connection between any two ideas that could enable anybody to see anything clearly at all.”
ONLY DEAD PEOPLE USE FACEBOOK….“A dead thing can go with the stream, but a living thing can go against it.”
COULD HE HAVE BEEN LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE FACEBOOK GENERATION?… “I believe a new and enormous number of people now have no opinions at all.”
WHY I STILL USE A PEN AND PAPER… “I was very tolerant of the idea of being behind the times, having had long opportunities of studying the perfectly ghastly people who were abreast of the times; or the still more pestilent people who were in advance of the times.”
I THINK I’VE USED THIS FANTASTIC ONE BEFORE…“Civilization is not to be judged by the rapidity of communication, but by the value of what is communicated.”
Am I being too harsh on those who use Facebook? I don’t think so.
My feelings on Facebook in five little words: Transformer of People Into Puppets.
My feelings on Facebook in four little words: Slaughterer of Civilized Things.
My feelings on Facebook in three little words: Waste of Time.
My feelings on Facebook in two little words: Encyclopedic Ignorance.
My feelings on Facebook in one little word: Rubbish. Or Pitiful. Or Demonic. Certainly Deadening.
Today a shiny new book came in the mail, entitled The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G.K.Chesterton. I certainly qualify as an enthusiast of quote-compilations, so I practically fell in love at first sight. Undeniably at first page, at least. My mom says I have to share it with everyone in the family, but don’t you think that sounds a tad bit Communistic? I’m a fan of private property myself. Anyway, be sure to act surprised if the book and I disappear for a while.
Here are some beauties from Chesterton, on those subjects dear to AFLI’s heart:
”Civilisation is not to be judged by the rapidity of communication, but by the value of what is communicated. ” (Isn’t this what I’m always saying? Having a technology does not mean it is a good technology, nor does it oblige us to use it.)
“People talking in twos talk gently, because they feel emphatically: people talking in tens or twenties talk emphatically because they do not care a dump about anything.” (Quantity versus quality is best in friendship. Facebook does not promote this. On the contrary, it generally breeds competition and concern as to how many “friends” one has.)
“And never before, I should imagine, in the intellectual history of the world have words been used with so idiotic an indifference to their actual meaning.” (Facebook thrives on people who bang and batter the English language to bits.)
And finally: ”There are a hundred means of communication, and there is nothing to communicate.” (Tis indeed the sad state of affairs.)
Well, here is another I just found. “What I lament is the importance of head-lines and the unimportance of headwork; the eagerness to state a man’s views, compared with the carelessness about whether his views are really stated, let along whether they are really sound.” (Probably couldn’t have said it better myself. Ha, ha.)
Hope you enjoyed these Chestertonian insights! I did!
