Lost part 11: one of us

In the third season of Lost the plane crash survivors and the native inhabits of the Island start to mix. This blending is far from smooth. In the course of this mixing we the viewers hear the phrases "one of us" and "one of them" over and over again.

Human beings have a great need to be accepted. We want to fit in and be liked, valued, and even loved. There can't be an in crowd without some rejects.

Who are the rejects... the people who don't fit. The group doesn't really matter, the result is always the same. Through out history the rejects have been the people with less money, influence, and advantage. I belong to this race, this economic class, this religious group and everyone else doesn't belong. The are not "one of us."

The next step after they are "not one of us" is "they are not as good as us." Often times these two sentiments are the same. Even when they aren't the same the feel like it. I wish I knew how we could have acceptance without rejection. It is something I still try to understand.

Lost part 10: Pushing the button

So there are two people. Person A wants to push a button. He has no proof that pushing the button will provide him any safety or sanctuary. He does have faith however, that pushing the button is the right thing to do. His faith gives him a sense of peace in an otherwise harsh unfair world.

Person B pushed the button for a long time. At some point his faith in the button slipped. He lost the sense of comfort that pushing the button provided.

What I find irrational is that Person B feels he has the right to stop Person A from pushing the button. He is hostile to Person A's believe. He would destroy the button if he possibly could.

I don't want to push the Button, but I think it is wrong to attack Person A's right to push the button. Now if Person A attacks me... then all bets are off.

Lost part 9: childhood

In the episode 23 Palms we are treated to a glimpse into the life and background of Eko. Eko is Nigerian and as a child warlords came to his village and put a gun in his younger brother's hand and force him on penalty of death to shoot an old man. Eko takes the gun from his brother and kills the old man himself and then the warlords take him with them out of the village. This is a common practice in war-torn parts of Africa. These warlords need fighters for their armies and by forcing children to commit atrocities and taking them form their homes they separate the children physically and psychologically from their families.

Fast-forward twenty years and we find Eko did save his brother. His brother is now a priest and Eko is a drug running murder. I frequently debate with myself how much of a role nurture plays in personality development. I talk to my friends with multiple children and hear them say that this child was outgoing at birth and this one was shy from the beginning. Or this baby was happy and that one was fussy right from the moment they are born. Yet when I look at the people I know, the happiest and most content adults had the happiest most content childhood.

Of course it is impossible to know how much of what I perceive as a happy childhood is honest and how much is for show. I personally was a miserable child but I spent most of my life trying to hide this fact. But I think there is definitely a correlation between childhood environment and adult personality.

It is interesting that I hear a number of my friends with children talking about parenting philosophies. I don't think organic food, cloth dippers, or no TV will make your child happy in the long run. It is the time you spend with him/her that will make him/her a strong, happy, balanced person. It is all about balance and love.

Lost part 8: luxury and convenience

In season two of Lost we are introduced to a whole new cast of characters. These folks were in the tail section of the plane and crashed on the opposite end of the island from our main settlers. In practical terms these "tailies" had it much worse then the majority of the cast in lost who were in the center of the plane. The tail section of the plane landed in the ocean near the water so the survivors from this section didn't have access to the material form the plane to build shelters, start fires, keep themselves clean and healthy. They didn't have a doctor to treat wounds or a hunter to get them fresh meat.

In practical term I think that the main cast had it pretty tough living on the island but when compared to the tailies they living a dream life. It makes me think about everything we have in life and take for granted. We talk about luxuries like they were necessities. I always say I couldn't live without a computer/internet access... but I think I could. In fact I could live without allot of things that I enjoy on a daily basis. Yet I don't think I live an excessive life. Some people would look at my life and call me frugal and wasteful. Others would call me excessive and outlandish. In an age of conspicuous consumption it is hard to draw a line.

I am grateful for all excesses I enjoy in my life.

Lost part 7: Science/Faith

One of the many themes that run through Lost is the concept of faith. In the first episode of the second season the writers of the Lost present us with contrast of faith verses science. In flashbacks we are shown how Jack meets his wife. She is in a major accident (which coincidentally was the cause of Sharon's father's death). Jack tries to "fix" her but he is unsuccessful and should be paralyzed. Yet her back miraculously heals and she is able to eventually walk, and dance with Jack at their wedding.

I have faith in a greater power. I have a strong belief in a creator or creative force. But I also have a fundamental core-forming confidence in science. I do not think that the two are mutually exclusive. Like just about everything in this world I think the faith/science debate has two sides and those two sides have a complex interplay that humans have not fully comprehended. I know there are people who reject modern medicine and science based on their sense of faith and likewise there are those who reject faith because there are concepts like good that can't be scientifically proven.

I think there is a greater spirit that made the world and the rules of he made it by are called our sciences. It is part of life that is a challenge is trying to understand those science at many micro and macro levels. Those people who discount faith or science are taking the easy way out.

Lost part six: Greater Good

In the Lost episode "The Greater Good" we are shown how and why Sayid ends up on flight 815. Sayid was working with the American CIA trying to stop a terrorist bombing in Australia. He arranges a "chance" meeting between himself and his college roommate to try to stop him taking part in a terrorist bombing. However the CIA officers Sayid is working with are not happy with stopping his roommate from taking part in the bombing; they want a complete disruption of the cell and the recovery of the explosives that Sayid's roommates plan to use in there planned bombing.

At one point the roommate tells Sayid that he is going to be a martyr. He is scared, not because he is afraid to die, but because he believes according to the Koran killing is immoral. Acting as an undercover agent Sayid argues to his friend that killing is acceptable because it is for the greater good. According to Sayid's argument the war in Iraq is illegal and immoral and killing thousands of innocent people and a terrorist act in Australia will disrupt that county's passive acceptance of the war.

I will not deny that I have always felt that there is some legitimacy to the concept of acting in the greater good. Of course the classic example is is it acceptable for a starving man to steal food to survive. I have always agreed that the starving man was justified. However, I don't think that one life is of more value than another. Furthermore, I don't know if basic math really applies when speaking about human lives; meaning it isn't right to kill one person to save three others. As humans we have the right to save our lives but taking another, even to save another is not the providence of and individual person, group or government.

Murder is not a justification for killing. Of course, this is sadly where my personal philosophy take a bend from the major religions of this word. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all say killing is wrong but partitioners of each of these religions justify there actions based on faith. But that is another blog for another time.

Lost Part five: Special

In the first season of Lost we are introduced to Walt and told he is "special." Basically Walt has the ability to make things happen by seeing them in his mind. He makes a bird appear by think of the bird and throws a knife with the unnatural skill. The show also introduces us to characters who have other "special" ability, like the gift of prophecy or mind reading.

I myself do not have any of these abilities. I have never met anyone who I believe does have these abilities but I know that there are a major percentage of the world that believes in them. I find it amazing that human beings only use 10% of our brain capacity. I always believed special abilities are somehow tied to the mind and our inability to maximize our full potential.

That beings said I often think it is better that we do not use our full potential. The book "Flowers for Algeron" always scared the shit out of me.