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| Thread: Don't you miss the good old days? |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 3 4 · NEXT» |
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DonGio
Promising
Famous Hero
of Clear Water Mountain Clan
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posted November 06, 2001 02:25 PM |
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Don't you miss the good old days?
I often find myself tired and spent by our modern world and lifestyle. It saddens me when I lie in bed at night and the sound I hear is cars driving by, or when I look out the window, and untouched nature is nowhere in sight.
I have thought about this for a while now, and I have come to the conclusion that with a few honorable exceptions (medical progress, funk, soul, jazz, soccer), everything has evolved for the worse. TV and computers, for instance, are the Devil's work. Now I know a lot of you are reading this and going "what the ****'s he on about?", but hear me out openmindedly, and I'll be honestly surprised if you don't agree with me.
There are, of course, great benefits from having and using these inventions, but I believe that the drawbacks are even greater. First of all, people stay inside more, and get lazy, fat and unhealthy. Where people earlier had to be creative and do something to keep themselves occupied, all we have to do now is turn on the telly, and let it feed us whatever crap it wants. And after sufficient amounts of sex, violence and mindless gibberish, we become emotionally truncated.
The computer is more useful, but it also keeps you indoors, staring yourself blind on a monitor and gaining weight every second.
And don't even get me started on cars. They pollute everything, and it's shocking, really, if you think about it, when people have to wear masks when moving outside in larger cities.
Now here's what I would like:
A basically medieval world, with less plagues and poverty, without machines and electricity (in controlled form, that is).
I would live as a hunter/wanderer, roaming the mountains and the countryside at my own discretion. In winter or during storms and such, I would seek shelter at the nearest tavern, where they serve their own-brewed beer and there's a fiddler and a fluteist in the corner, and if lucky, one of the cute waitresses wouldn't mind a little cuddling.
Then there would be festivals, in mid summer, for instance, and all the unwed boys and girls would come to the village square and sing, dance and woo all night long, the girls in dresses and the boys in their finest. And on one of these nights, I would meet the girl of my dreams, and we would settle down in the outskirts of the village, and I would have to do things like build the house, chop wood for the fireplace, shovel snow in the winter, fetch water at the well, and hunt and grow food.
You would live in harmony with nature, taking only what you need to survive.
And of course, it would be great if you could have some adventures involving mythical creatures, imprisoned virgins and maybe some magic, too?
I know all this sounds a bit over the edge, and maybe it is, I don't know. I just find that some of the most basic things I do bring me the most satisfaction, like when I shovel snow in the winter or chop wood for our cabin or when I'm hiking in the mountains or the forests. I feel so much more at peace with myself doing these things compared to my normal life, with movies, sports, computers, parties, public transport, pollution, credit cards and so on.
Well, this was quite a rant, but it's good to get these things of one's chest, and maybe someone will even agree with me!
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There are 10 types of people: Those who read binary, and those who don't.
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Hexa
Responsible
Legendary Hero
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posted November 06, 2001 02:35 PM |
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I'll respond to that once I've got so time!
;-)
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If you want to realize your dreams >>> you have to wake up!@
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Zud
Promising
Famous Hero
box worshipper
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posted November 06, 2001 02:40 PM |
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It may sound nice but......
I think in reality it would not be that great, lol I appreciate all the modern conviences, I like running water, transportation, electronics......ect.
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DonGio
Promising
Famous Hero
of Clear Water Mountain Clan
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posted November 06, 2001 02:52 PM |
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Please do, Hexa!
And Zud, really? That's not just your laziness speaking? No offense, I am a myself a worshipper of the false god of Indolence, I just often wish I wasn't. I love it when I have to go to the well for water (at my mountain cabin, without running water (we have electricity, unfortunately, but we don't use it for much, as we use the fireplace, the wood oven and paraffin ovens for heat and often use wax candles for light)).
And I much prefer walking or biking over driving or traveling by motorized vehicles.
I think people were generally more happy and healthy before. There weren't a lot of people needing therapists and shrinks a couple of centuries ago.
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There are 10 types of people: Those who read binary, and those who don't.
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Zud
Promising
Famous Hero
box worshipper
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posted November 06, 2001 03:07 PM |
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Edited By: Zud on 6 Nov 2001
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Still don't agree
the problems were there, just no as easy to see. no better, just less informed
Its always nice to go back to "simple" ways when u can or want to for a vacation or a weekend, but when that's the way of life and you have no "choice" ....it sux
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Lith-Maethor
Honorable
Legendary Hero
paid in Coin and Cleavage
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posted November 06, 2001 04:19 PM |
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have thought about that myself...
...but then I remembered than medieval europe (it fits your description) was nothing like a fantasy world... knights and lords ruled the lands, the church reigned supreme and the folk had no choice but to serve them... no magic, no mythical creatures, no mystery... just ignorance, fear and suffering.. even the knights were often illiterate and ignorant people caring not for their subjects but for their own wellfare... slavery would be common and equal rights would only be a dream... anything different would be conserned diabolic and would be confronted by biggots and mindless mobs... the arts were controlled by the rulers, the serfs had no rights and for the majority of people, life was hell... sure it would be nice if i could roam the country with a sword at my side, on my faithfull horse... of course even a cold could kill me... I wouldn't see my loved ones for days or weeks, not even write to them...
...the world you write about seems a Utopia (hold the Dragons please) but even then life would be unecessarily hard, some of the things we take as granted today, as instant information, telephony and travelling ease, would be only a dream... the problem is not progress at all... it's the abuse of it... cars are ok, but you don't have to use a car to go somewhere you can easily walk to...
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You are suffering from delusions of adequacy.
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Milena
Responsible
Supreme Hero
in supreme disgrace
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posted November 06, 2001 05:19 PM |
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Lith is right
Terry Goodkind's, Jordan's and Tolkiens books can't be more away from the reality.
If you ask me... think about that. Don't you have the feeling we DO live in the good days?
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 Milena
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Murphy
Disgraceful
Famous Hero
banned
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posted November 06, 2001 09:29 PM |
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damn, what are you smoking, dongio?
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Milena
Responsible
Supreme Hero
in supreme disgrace
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posted November 06, 2001 09:37 PM |
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*laughs*
Quote:
damn, what are you smoking, dongio?
Leave the poor man alone. He's nostalgic.
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Milena
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Lith-Maethor
Honorable
Legendary Hero
paid in Coin and Cleavage
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posted November 06, 2001 09:46 PM |
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nostalgy is good.. sometimes...
...if we were talking a fantasy world though, I would like to live in it... I think my alter ego proves that in the RP thread 
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You are suffering from delusions of adequacy.
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Murphy
Disgraceful
Famous Hero
banned
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posted November 06, 2001 09:47 PM |
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lol you have to ask that question sometimes...
(no offense donnie)
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DonGio
Promising
Famous Hero
of Clear Water Mountain Clan
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posted November 16, 2001 02:42 PM |
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None taken, Murph, but I stand my ground!
And your views on the Middle Ages are a bit outdated, I'd say. That exclusively negative view on Middle Ages originates from the succeeding time period (don't know what it's called in English - age of enlightenment? Anyway, with Newton and Darwin and Hegel and Kant and those guys) and stuck with us for a surprising number of years. They were reacting to a feudal system that had been dominant for way too long, in their opinion, and as a result of that "sudden" and radical break, they (naturally) made it seem worse than it was.
Later research has corrected the image somewhat. Yes, much was wrong and unjust, but there were actually many people living in peace and if not prosperity, without financial worries. Only problem is, this kinda lifestyle doesn't make for exciting history, and is therefore often poorly covered. It's the wars and bad times we remember.
Anyway, I'm aware of the fact that my vision contains utopic elements, but still.
Sad to see that noone agrees, though. (he-he (just to show that I'm not too sad (Milena, thanks for the concern, by the way, )))
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There are 10 types of people: Those who read binary, and those who don't.
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Shae_Trielle
Honorable
Famous Hero
of Heroes
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posted November 16, 2001 03:15 PM |
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I think that the pressures of the modern living environment can get to us all sometimes and the idealogy of just (wo)man and nature is very appealing to us all. I have this crazy mental image inside my head right now as I type about me in a bearskin and nothing but the bare essentials with me. A simple knife, a pack with some rations and food, standing atop a mountain looking into a cold valley. Nothing else around me. No people, no computers, cars, buildings, freeways...
Life would be nice like that. Although life for a girl back in those days was washing linen and cooking food whilst pulling herbs and vegetables out of a dirty garden. Fetching buckets of water from the local well, wearing unbearably boring clothes and having to deal with arranged marriages. My whole life would be predestined as a housewife.
I would be freezing cold every night, I would have to find a tinderbox and a flint just to light a candle and I would have nothing to keep my occupied save for my own humming.
I could not be forced to live a life like that. Not day after day, month after month, year after year with no prospect of change or escape.
I am so free as a girl to do as I please these days. I decide where when and how (not to mention who....) And the world IS my oyster. If I really choose to live the life of the nomad, I can very well do so. Should I get tired of roughing it though, I can always wander into the nearest town and hustle up a job somewhere...
Choice was limited back then. Choice nowadays may sometimes feel like pressure and may cause some of us to rebel, but way back before the dawn of time (lol!) there was very little choice but to survive against the harshest foe of all time. Mother Nature.
Erm.... I'd rather pit myself against the 8 o'clock traffic peak thank you!
*smile*
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SirDunco
Responsible
Supreme Hero
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posted November 16, 2001 05:32 PM |
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...
Well it all sounds nice, but as always there are many downsides. I mean look where the western civilization has gone in the last 200 years. In 1800 the average life span was lik 50 years(western world) and what is it now, like 72 years(western world). Where most of us live that world thanks to all the technology has improved greatly. Ofcourse there is missery, poverty and wars, but still u have that everywhere. No offens, but u should have thought more clearly when u wrote this thread. WE complian about all of the improvements how much they have ruined the values of our lives, but if we were living in that fantasy of ur it would be much worse. Lith is right that the world has been ruled, by fear. The middle ages were one of the most dirtiest places in the world. By dirtiest i mean the least hygenic, so it would be no problem for diseases to catch on. With the technology at that time people could die of influenza(the flu)! I meagine that. Within my 14 years of live i could have been dead a couple of times if we were living in ur fantasy. Now thaks to the technology of the western civiliztion some diseases that were deadly 50 years ago can be cured no problem.
Another thing is the point of life. If u realy were living in the middle ages the goal of life was something absolutely different that what it is now. There it was to survive and keep the family line going hoping for a change for ur family line in the future. That in some places in the world still is the point of life, but again where most of us live(western world) and other economicaly advanced countries the goal has changed. It is no longer just to SURVIVE, but it is to ACOMPLISH.
We complian about technology, but where would we be without it? We still would be illiterate, think that the sun revolves around the earth, think that witchcraft was a horribly evil thing, think the earth is flat and many other things. People say technology is bad, but we have to think "where would we be without it?"
Well thats my wiew on things.
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rogue
Promising
Famous Hero
Prosecutors Will Be Shoplifted
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posted November 16, 2001 06:52 PM |
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Cool idea... but unless I could live in a fantasy world from a book, it wouldn't be too great.
And some inventions, like toilets and toilet paper... I'd prefer to keep.
My ideal thing would be to live in a nice house surrounded by forest...
...but close enough to a city (perhaps a half-hour out) that I could go there when I need to.
I don't care much for TV, but computer I do think is good, and unlike TV, which is totally passive, computer is interactive and does allow for creativity. Not only in what a person types into an e-mail or message board, but also because you can create web pages, computer programs, short stories, music, and many other things on a computer.
Plus a computer can replace your stereo, DVD player, and many other things. Computer is one invention I really appreciate.
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DonGio
Promising
Famous Hero
of Clear Water Mountain Clan
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posted November 17, 2001 03:20 AM |
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Hey, now we're getting warm here!
Shae: If you were my wife, you wouldn't have to do all that (well, you'd have to do some, but I'd help you out (occasionally )), and besides, don't you think it would be healthy to worry a bit about surviving? I mean, don't you think you'd appreciate life more?
Sir Dunco: First of all, complain is spelled like this, not complian.
Second, I have thought all those things through. And your ancient view on the Middle Ages I've already commented on. And is it really worse to be killed by the flu than a bullet? Anyway, it's a fact that the 20th century was the most violent and bloody in history, so I don't think progress does us all that good.
Rouge: Yeah, I see your points. For toilet paper, moss works great! And yeah, I too value the pc much higher than tv. My point is, I think man has removed himself to far from his natural environment, and I don't think it's healthy.
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There are 10 types of people: Those who read binary, and those who don't.
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Oldtimer
Honorable
Supreme Hero
Please leave a message after..
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posted November 17, 2001 01:24 AM |
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Yes, moss is great. Instead of having crap on your butt, you get moss covered crap on your butt.
I don't believe that any of us would actually want to live back then, especially the women. There was no refrigeration or other kitchen appliances. The Women had to spend all day cooking and cleaning, while the men had to go out and do the back breaking labour from dawn to dusk.
Forget about your school, hanging with friends etc. You work and sleep. And on sundays you get to see some neighbors at services. Thats your life.
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<PLEASE DO NOT WAKE THE OLD MAN!>
"Zzzz...Zzzz...Zzzz..."
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RMS
Responsible
Legendary Hero
-ing yummy foods
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posted November 17, 2001 04:09 AM |
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...does anyone seriously think they'de much rather prefer to live back, even perhaps a decade ago?
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This space for rent.
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DonGio
Promising
Famous Hero
of Clear Water Mountain Clan
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posted November 17, 2001 09:50 AM |
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Oldtimer (suiting name for this thread):
Yes! You got it! That's what I'd like. Manual labour!
Chopping wood, fetching water at the well, hunting and gathering, yippi!
RMS: Yes, ME!
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There are 10 types of people: Those who read binary, and those who don't.
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Shae_Trielle
Honorable
Famous Hero
of Heroes
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posted November 17, 2001 12:24 PM |
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A decade ago? LOL like in 1991?
Ewwww!
The last dregs of the eighties! No way!
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