Up@dawn 2.0

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

An Extraordinary Person Has The Right To Do Whatever He Can Get Away With

There is a short story entitled, "Harrison Bergeron," that I have grown to adore as a dystopian short story that displays a sense of urgency such as "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury. In the dystopian civilization that Harrison Bergeron's family (The main characters as opposed to Harrison Bergeron being the main character) lives in, those who excel in particular biological, physical, and mental traits are considered "handicapped" and are issued restraints by the government to preclude them from ever gaining an advantage over those less fortunate than them. In this universe is Harrison Bergeron, who is traditionally very handsome, harbors an extraordinarily high IQ in the genius range, his eyesight is above 20/20, and his hearing is the human equivalent of a dog's hearing. As a result, he must wear "corrective lenses" that subdue his extraordinary vision capabilities, large headphones that dwindle his ability to hear so clearly, a mask and baggy outfit that undermines his attractive appearance, and, if I'm not mistaken, a helmet or otherwise device that diminishes his cognitive ability. In the story, Harrison Bergeron rebels, removing his mask, outfit, glasses, earphones, and other "handicapped" tools, and revolts against this tyrannical government, sincerely believing that it is not the prerogative of the fastest runner in a race to run as slow as the slowest runner, but rather the prerogative of the slower runners to run harder to succeed.

It is true that intelligent people are sometimes antisocial to some degree. I, myself, regardless of whether or not my significantly high grades in high school and college are reflective of an intelligence that may or may not be above average, have always had severe tendencies to be antisocial, and as a result, I harbor resentence towards those who mock my lack of enjoyment for many social activities. They, themselves, who often do not achieve the grades equal to mine, write it off as myself being a loser and themselves being the true human beings due to their social involvement. Whether or not I am extraordinary, if I excel in activities such as academia and writing, why is it imperative that I transform myself into a person that finds joy in the same aspects of life that the majority of individuals enjoy simply to help them feel more positive about themselves? Do I envy their ability to socialize, enjoy parties and social situations, and engage each other as members of a social clique? No. Do I expect them to envy my enjoyment of academics and pursuit of excellent grades? No.

I very much agree with Thrasymachus's and Callicles's antisocial conclusion.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.