JACK'S BLOG
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OpinionIMAGINE TRANSPORTING A PERSON from the 15th Century to today? How would they fare? Poorly would be most people's guess. They like to think of themselves as being “smarter” than their ancestors. After all, our ancestors didn't have all of the wonderful gadgets we have. Honestly, how many of those gadgets can you explain let alone invent? How many could you build? Indeed, how many could you operate without a child's help? The truth is that our ancestors weren't all that dumb. Indeed, many of them were smarter than you and I. Think about it. They were able to survive in a much more challenging and crueler world than the one we live in. They invented many of our gadgets or, at least, the precursors to them. In fact, they invented the world you and I live in. Now, imagine yourself transported back to their time. How well would you fare? Indeed, how would you survive? What skills do you have that would suffice in their day. I don't care who you are or whatever job or profession you pursue. For example, I once read a study of American doctors who volunteered in Burma (back when Burma was still known as “Burma”). Bereft of their modern hospitals and pharmacies, their success rate curing disease was no better than the indigenous witch doctors. On the other hand, your 15th Century ancestor dropping by for a visit would most likely adapt pretty well. Discounting the fact that they would be well fed and housed by government entitlements, they would most likely have some skills with which to survive. Whether they be a craftsman, an artisan, or a peasant farmer, they would survive. A member of the 15th Century aristocracy might become a celebrity and climb through the ranks of modern government. I believe that a 15th Century person might even excel at modern education better than today's lot of scholars. Their ability to learn and memorize was far better exercised than today's students. Lacking printed books, they had to memorize everything, and some of them were extremely good at it. Also, once presented with the artifacts of modern civilization, their sense of wonder might even drive them to exceed our accomplishments. Remember, Newton knew all the science needed to land men on the moon. He's the one who postulated it for us. He only lacked the technology. Imagine how much further he might have gone had he started in our century. I was inspired to speculate on this concept when I awoke this morning with a piece of doggerel running through my head: “Worm and parcel with the lay, then turn and serve the other way.” What the hell is that? It's a mnemonic that I learned many decades ago to remind me how to care for lines (ropes) on a sailing ship, otherwise known as marlinespike seamanship. I won't belabor you with a more extensive explanation. It only served to remind me that mnemonics were an important part of learning to memorize. Mnemonics appears to be a fading skill. I remember once my daughter was assigned the task of memorizing the President's cabinet positions. I created a mnemonic to help her. I wondered why the teacher hadn't. Isn't this what teachers are supposed to do?
I could branch off at this point onto any one of several topics. It's hard to choose which. However, I will limit myself to just two. First, why do so many people, especially elected officials, openly disdain the Constitution. They believe that they are better people than the ones who wrote it. That they are somehow smarter. They argue that the Republic envisioned in that Constitution is failing, and that we would be so much better off if only they could shuck off its limits on the powers of government. However, the Republic is failing today because we have already allowed them to shuck off too many limits and it is their meddling that is hurting our liberty and our economy. Secondly, I could take another path and discuss the failure of educators. They claim that they could do so much better if only they had a few dollars more. Well, we've given them vast fortunes and the quality of education has only declined inversely to the amount being spent. That's another subject that I would like to pursue further. However, it is a waste of time if you don't agree with my basic premise. So, here's the challenge. Tell us. What skills do you have that would allow you to survive let alone thrive in the 15th Century? Me? I could be a sailor. I've sailed tall ships, and I not only know how to navigate without a GPS, but also how to worm, parcel, and serve.
10 Comments
12/16/2012 01:40:50 pm
I can build a fire, construct a shelter, I know about plants and their medicinal uses. I would be a traveling bard and a shaman, bringing healing of body and soul to every village. I would use my bow and arrow and/or slingshot for personal protection.
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Jack Durish
12/16/2012 03:40:36 pm
You made me laugh. How few who have appeared on the reality game show Survivor have had those abilities. Even though they've watched previous episodes, they fail to prepare themselves with even the most rudimentary skills.
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12/17/2012 12:30:56 am
I'm barely surviving the twenty-first century with heating, air conditioning, automobiles, and eBooks. The fifteenth century is out of the question.
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Jack Durish
12/17/2012 03:24:39 am
At last, a honest man
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Richard Noah
12/17/2012 08:13:01 am
That is such a cool idea. I think a lot of us think we are brave enough to give it a whirl. Probably not me, though. I'm not physically fit enough and would do poorly as a cripple- though that might be an avenue to ponder. Plus I think that idioms and gestures and 'proper' conversational Old English (for example) would be rough. I imagine one 'can' learn these things ahead of time. Actors do. But everyday survival would be incredibly hard. If you had simple skills (those you might get paid for- mostly labor intensive) you might get by, but otherwise you might have to hunt- with primitive tools-sure, doable,but low rate of success, even for those who live in the time.
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Jack Durish
12/17/2012 08:57:28 am
Welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I'm nothing but an old story teller. Telling stories is what I love to do. Obviously, this post reflects a idea for a couple of stories I've been mulling. Check back. I'll get to them.
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12/18/2012 04:29:32 am
It's an interesting question, whether we would survive if we were somehow 'beamed' back to the 15th century. Last year (2011) I started to ponder this (though about the 14th century), and whether I, as a woman and a scientist, would last a day. I realized pretty quickly that I'd be doomed, if only because of my behavior.
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Jack Durish
12/18/2012 05:51:30 am
You hit the nail on the head. It is fun to think about. And, yes, many authors have played the game. "A Gun for Dinosaur" Many others I can't remember the titles of off hand. But, more importantly, I'm sure that I would be hunted and quartered as a rebel. My attitudes are totally out of sync with living in a feudal society and I would be trumpeting the Declaration of Independence (at least as much as I could remember).
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Libby Fischer Hellmann
12/18/2012 08:32:42 am
If reincarnation exists, I always thought I would be a peasant girl during the Middle Ages. But I'm willing to stretch it a hundred years or so.
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Jack Durish
12/18/2012 08:44:02 am
You are a breath of fresh air. Everyone who I've heard speculate on reincarnation claims some royal heritage. Inasmuch as royalty is descended from bullies, this has always amused me. Me? I know I'm descended of peasants, coal miners, and, if I wish to self-aggrandize, horse thieves.
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