A Chronic, Low-Grade Disaster

Disasters like this happen gradually, over a long time period. And are usually ignored, as just a nuisance - hardly worth bothering with. Lots of things come and go naturally - and its not worth getting upset about them.

It's hard to tell when they cease being a nuisance, and become a serious problem. The Canary in a Coal Mine is a useful example. If the Canary conks out - it's time for the people to leave, before the same thing happens to them. The same is true of the human population - some people are more sensitive than others, and the less sensitive ones should pay attention to them.

But in our time, the less sensitive are valued because they can function in disagreeable, and even toxic, circumstances. The owners of the coal mines, can point to them proudly, and declare the sensitive ones are less fit. Until the coal mine blows up - and hopefully, takes the owners with it.

So far, what I have said is not controversial - everyone will agree with it.

But people (and ethics) are not so simple. How can we distinguish between people who are sensitive (or represent a minority group) - and people who are crazy? Or those who are a little crazy, in ways that do not matter, at the moment.

I am thinking of a friend of mine, who was crazy in an unusual way. She was passionate about the Theatre. She and her husband went to New York City - because that's where the theaters were. He became an alcoholic, and could not support her and her children. So she went into the Publishing business, that was also in NYC - and quickly became a success there. She was smart, and talented.

I met her some time later, when I was working in Silicon Valley, as a Tech Writer, in the Nineties. She was dead broke, and sleeping in her car. I told my boss, I needed an editor - and he hired her (she was an excellent editor). She was as happy as she could be - she had money again! A month later, her money was gone.

I watched in amazement, as this pattern repeated itself. She would get a lucky break, become a success - and then through her success away! I have no idea what her basic problem was - it probably originated in her childhood (and she did have an unusual childhood).

This childhood problem became part of the low-grade background problems - that she, and everyone else has to cope with. And these problems are gradually getting worse - as our technical society gets harder to understand.

No one can point to the combination of these problems - people only have the vague feeling that something is wrong.