A Never-Ending Cycle

Just as the United States government has a system of checks and balances, society as a whole has its own similar system. It is this system which creates a cyclic pattern of morals and attitudes flowing throughout society. Extremes still exist throughout this cycle; extremes similar to the warnings from George Orwell and Aldous Huxley in their dystopian novels 1984 and Brave New World, respectively. However, because there are so many voices expressing opinions and opposition, society is able to check and balance itself so as not to ever reach one of these extremes.

One may ask what these two opposing extremes are, and no person could state it better than Neil Postman, a contemporary social critic: “In 1984…people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.” A person living in Orwell’s nightmare is acutely aware of every action and its repercussions in order to run a stable, efficient society and be as productive as possible, always planning for the success of the future. Present emotional states are never considered. Brave New World’s citizens, on the other hand, focus on instant gratification and take advantage of every tool available to make life as smooth and pleasurable as possible. Maintaining the peace is perfection. Postman’s assertion that Huxley’s vision is most similar to today’s society also holds some truth. Three key aspects of today’s society that parallel with Huxley’s Brave New World society are the advanced genetic technology, the fight to legalize marijuana, and the loss of meaning from sex.

Designer babies are all the rage this year, making headlines and being sought out by the wealthy. While this technology is still young and not fully explored, Mike Celizic reports for msnbc.com that “a California fertility clinic is offering prospective parents the opportunity to improve the odds of having children with preselected hair, skin and eye color…” This clearly aligns with the bottled babies of Huxley’s Brave New World. Rather than being satisfied with the miracle of childbirth itself, a selfish society must push the envelope and intervene in order to improve its surrounding environment.

The fight to legalize marijuana also follows the paths taken by Brave New World’s society with soma. These drugs fulfill society’s desire for instant gratification. If one is unhappy, it may soon be acceptable to escape from, rather than deal with, the problems at hand. Little, if any, thought is put into the fact that the problems will remain once the drug wears off. But in today’s society as well as Huxley’s, preparing for the benefit of the future is simply ridiculous, miserable, and unnecessary, for the generations to come can escape their problems by using the drug as well.

Perhaps the most frightening parallel between today’s society and Huxley’s is the carefree, meaningless act of having sex. A particular study found that “In the United States, young people aged 15-24 represent 25% of the sexually experienced population.” At 15 years old, these teens’ objectives are not to start families, therefore the only purpose of their actions is sheer pleasure. Sex has become commonplace, meaningless, and empty. Again, returning to the idea of instant gratification; today sex is used as a drug, an escape from any cold, harsh realities of everyday life. The incredibly frequent act of having sex also causes it to lose meaning and value. It is now incorporated into all stages of every romantic relationship; therefore breaking connections with a significant other is never a major emotional upheaval, simply because that individual was no more significant than another. But everyone is happy, right?

While this never-ending cycle may find us hovering around this particular extreme, it is only a matter of time until the system of checks and balances will take effect and give society a shove. Those who see society’s values mimicking Brave New World’s too closely will voice opposition and make changes to move society along in the direction of the other extreme. Our society is right on the verge now, as we begin to take responsibility for global warming, and manage with and adapt to the economic crisis. We are seeing that living in luxury has its consequences, and those who are concerned for their children’s futures have spoken.