Sunday, August 12, 2012

Belief is Both Prize & Battlefield

"Belief is both prize & battlefield, within the mind & in the mind's mirror, the world. If we believe humanity is a ladder of tribes, a colosseum of confrontation, exploitation & bestiality, such a humanity is surly brought into being, & history's Horroxes, Boerhaaves & Gooses shall prevail. You & I, the moneyed, the privileged, the foutuniate, shall not fare so badly in this world, provided our luck holds. What of it if our consciences itch? Why undermine the dominance of our race, our gunships, our heritage & our legacy? Why fight the "natural" (oh, weaselly word!) order of things?

Why? Because of this:--one fine day, a surely predatory world shall consume itself. ...

Is this the doom written within our nature?"
- David Mitchell, from Cloud Atlas. If you haven't read this book, run to you closest book outlet right now. I've been rereading it after watching the movie trailer and it's been confirming what I thought: it's one of the 10 best books I've ever read. Pure entertainment.

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