Ravatn: One-year-olds in kindergarten are not the best example of a 'sick culture'

Agnes Ravatn, in her piece "Apropos sick culture," posits that the behavior of one-year-olds in kindergarten is hardly the most fitting example when discussing a "sick culture." She suggests that while children's development is a fascinating subject, it doesn't represent the most profound or concerning aspects of societal issues.

Ravatn draws upon "From Ape to Sapiens - The History of Humankind" to contextualize human existence. By compressing Earth's history into a single year, the book illustrates that life's first signs appeared on February 17th, while Homo sapiens emerged only at 11:37 PM on New Year's Eve. This perspective highlights the immense timescale of planetary evolution and the comparatively brief period of human dominance, prompting a reflection on humanity's impact in such a short span.

Further exploring themes of existence and perspective, Ravatn references Dag O. Hessen's "Thinking with Zapffe." This work delves into the ideas of the Norwegian philosopher, mountaineer, humorist, and arch-pessimist Peter Wessel Zapffe (1899-1990). Zapffe's profound pessimism was so extreme that he chose not to reproduce, believing the ultimate cessation of the human race would be the best outcome.

The article invites readers to consider these broader philosophical and historical contexts when evaluating societal norms and cultural phenomena, moving beyond simplistic or superficial examples to engage with deeper questions about humanity's place and future.