In what ways is modern society deluded?

[Valjean]

In 200-300 years, what will society look back on in the 21st century and realize that we had it completely wrong?

This assumes there will be a society two centuries hence, that humans won't have reduced the Earth to a sere and polluted rock.

 

[bilby]

In 200-300 years, what will society look back on in the 21st century and realize that we had it completely wrong?

This assumes there will be a society two centuries hence, that humans won't have reduced the Earth to a sere and barren rock.

Society may not survive what humans do; even humanity itself might not survive. But the biosphere has come back from far worse than anything humans can conceivably do to it. Humans won't ever reduce the Earth to a sere and barren rock.

 

[4321lynx]

This assumes there will be a society two centuries hence, that humans won't have reduced the Earth to a sere and barren rock.

Society may not survive what humans do; even humanity itself might not survive. But the biosphere has come back from far worse than anything humans can conceivably do to it. Humans won't ever reduce the Earth to a sere and barren rock.

Yes. And look how wildlife, including large mammals, has recovered in the Chernobyl Exclusion Area, where the radioactivity continues as expected. presumably the life expectancy of these, (bears, moose, red deer, wol;ves. wild boars), in the wild means they're not exposed to radiation for as long as humans would be in their lifetime. Several generations of animals have been born there since the accident.

This article is less optimistic but the results of observation speak for themselves. --- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_Exclusion_Zone#Flora_and_fauna

 

[rousseau]

Now that I actually think about it, I think religion is the main one. It's dwindling in places, much worse in others, much better than centuries ago, but in a few centuries from now I think we can expect most policy around the globe to be completely secularly based, and religion to be significantly reduced amongst populations.

Chances are we'll have much more rational educational systems, and the worse capitalistic elements of leading societies will have been accounted for.

 

[skepticalbip]

This assumes there will be a society two centuries hence, that humans won't have reduced the Earth to a sere and barren rock.

Society may not survive what humans do; even humanity itself might not survive. But the biosphere has come back from far worse than anything humans can conceivably do to it. Humans won't ever reduce the Earth to a sere and barren rock.

Anyone who has ever battled weeds in their lawns or gardens can attest to that....

 

[skepticalbip]

Now that I actually think about it, I think religion is the main one. It's dwindling in places, much worse in others, much better than centuries ago, but in a few centuries from now I think we can expect most policy around the globe to be completely secularly based, and religion to be significantly reduced amongst populations.

Chances are we'll have much more rational educational systems, and the worse capitalistic elements of leading societies will have been accounted for.

That is a nice hope but it looks like it may be unfounded. The two areas with the greatest population is India and China. Religion is a way of life in India, not just a Sunday thing. China is now allowing more individual freedoms and religion is growing rapidly there. After the fall of the USSR, religion has come back to that area with a roar. South America is experiencing a rapid growth of the kind of religion that really likes to involve itself in politics - evangelical Christianity. And this is all besides the fastest growing religion, Islam.

 

[braces_for_impact]

I think we're going to look back and realize that our culture had the concept of drug addiction, and how it takes place, completely wrong.

 

[Togo]

I think they'll wonder at our ideas about corruption. We've managed to convince ourselves that corruption is something that occurs only in pre-developed countries, and totally ignore it's occurance in the modern western world.

They'll also puzzling at our attitude to fish. Because clearly keeping huge fishing fleets to hunt increasingly scarce fish to extinction is a silly idea compared to letting the fish recover a bit, and getting a bigger harvest each year thereafter.

 

[bilby]

I think they'll wonder at our ideas about corruption. We've managed to convince ourselves that corruption is something that occurs only in pre-developed countries, and totally ignore it's occurance in the modern western world.

They'll also puzzling at our attitude to fish. Because clearly keeping huge fishing fleets to hunt increasingly scarce fish to extinction is a silly idea compared to letting the fish recover a bit, and getting a bigger harvest each year thereafter.

I was always slightly bemused by the North Atlantic cod fishermen who, back in the 80s and 90s, were steadfastly opposed to reduced EU quotas for catch sizes on the basis that they would 'destroy our livelihoods and our way of life'. Having caught all of the fish, their industry has now pretty much ceased to exist.

What did you do during the Cod Wars, daddy?

 

[rousseau]

I forgot about a good one:

Our belief that using animals for profit is normal, and not slavery.

- - - Updated - - -

Now that I actually think about it, I think religion is the main one. It's dwindling in places, much worse in others, much better than centuries ago, but in a few centuries from now I think we can expect most policy around the globe to be completely secularly based, and religion to be significantly reduced amongst populations.

Chances are we'll have much more rational educational systems, and the worse capitalistic elements of leading societies will have been accounted for.

That is a nice hope but it looks like it may be unfounded. The two areas with the greatest population is India and China. Religion is a way of life in India, not just a Sunday thing. China is now allowing more individual freedoms and religion is growing rapidly there. After the fall of the USSR, religion has come back to that area with a roar. South America is experiencing a rapid growth of the kind of religion that really likes to involve itself in politics - evangelical Christianity. And this is all besides the fastest growing religion, Islam.

I don't know. I could be far off base, but you have to remember that we're at the beginning of the information and internet era, which I think is going to have a massively liberating effect. Pockets of reason are spawning all around the world.

 

[Potoooooooo]

This assumes there will be a society two centuries hence, that humans won't have reduced the Earth to a sere and barren rock.

Society may not survive what humans do; even humanity itself might not survive. But the biosphere has come back from far worse than anything humans can conceivably do to it. Humans won't ever reduce the Earth to a sere and barren rock.

Indeed, some animals (like rats and rabbits) might have big things in store for their future

 

[Canard DuJour]

In 200-300 years, what will society look back on in the 21st century and realize that we had it completely wrong?

The idea that we can endlessly automate mass-production for mass-consumption and the free market fairy will take care of the rest.

 

[Tigers!]

What did you do during the Cod Wars, daddy?

I was being moddly-coddled.


I wore my cod piece correctly.

 

[Bullmoose Too]

In what ways is modern society deluded?

Despite the progess of science god belief is still rampant and still greatly effects human interactions. Especially on a global level.

 

[Lumpenproletariat]

2 Delusions:

• Labor must be paid higher wages in order to stimulate demand;
  
• Outsourcing is bad for the economy.

But it may take longer than just 300 years to outgrow these delusions.

 

[DrZoidberg]

As society progresses we're in a continual process of over-coming certain types of delusional and back-ward thinking. So I wonder:

In 200-300 years, what will society look back on in the 21st century and realize that we had it completely wrong?

Since we only will be consciousnesses uploaded to computers living in a computer generated perfect world I think they´d wonder why we bothered trying to save the environment. Or why we cared about anything physical at all. Like taking care of our bodies. They would also be baffled by this "work" concept. I don´t think they would be capable of understanding it.

 

[rousseau]

As society progresses we're in a continual process of over-coming certain types of delusional and back-ward thinking. So I wonder:

In 200-300 years, what will society look back on in the 21st century and realize that we had it completely wrong?

Since we only will be consciousnesses uploaded to computers living in a computer generated perfect world I think they´d wonder why we bothered trying to save the environment. Or why we cared about anything physical at all. Like taking care of our bodies. They would also be baffled by this "work" concept. I don´t think they would be capable of understanding it.

Here's a fun thought experiment:

What would a 'perfect' world look like? And how would an unreal perfect world be better than a real imperfect one?

 

[skepticalbip]

Since we only will be consciousnesses uploaded to computers living in a computer generated perfect world I think they´d wonder why we bothered trying to save the environment. Or why we cared about anything physical at all. Like taking care of our bodies. They would also be baffled by this "work" concept. I don´t think they would be capable of understanding it.

Here's a fun thought experiment:

What would a 'perfect' world look like? And how would an unreal perfect world be better than a real imperfect one?

Your question reminds me of an old Twilight Zone episode. Apparently Rod Serling considered something similar to your question several decades ago. The gist of the episode was that people would go crazy in a world where every wish was granted and there were no challenges to overcome or disappointments to spur us on. In this episode, that perfect world was in fact Hell.

 

[Kharakov]

Here's a fun thought experiment:

What would a 'perfect' world look like? And how would an unreal perfect world be better than a real imperfect one?

Your question reminds me of an old Twilight Zone episode. Apparently Rod Serling considered something similar to your question several decades ago. The gist of the episode was that people would go crazy in a world where every wish was granted and there were no challenges to overcome or disappointments to spur us on. In this episode, that perfect world was in fact Hell.

Ehh, that's just because the gangster couldn't see his partners in crime, who he loved. Anyways, my dad, the dick he is, said earlier today "I was perfect once, that's hell. I don't even want to go there."

I liked that episode, have a dog named Rocky. Which is kind of perfect.

 A_Nice_Place_to_Visit

 

[DrZoidberg]

Since we only will be consciousnesses uploaded to computers living in a computer generated perfect world I think they´d wonder why we bothered trying to save the environment. Or why we cared about anything physical at all. Like taking care of our bodies. They would also be baffled by this "work" concept. I don´t think they would be capable of understanding it.

Here's a fun thought experiment:

What would a 'perfect' world look like? And how would an unreal perfect world be better than a real imperfect one?

If we´re in a computer generated world each consciousness could design the world they would like. Space would be infinite. So I can claim it is a perfect world without having to bother with the details. Handy