"What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy."
"Lo que Orwell temía eran aquellos que prohibirían los libros. Lo que
Huxley temía era que no habría razón para prohibir un libro, pues no
habría nadie que quisiera leer uno. Orwell temía a quienes nos privarían
de información. Huxley temía a aquellos que nos darían tanto que
quedaríamos reducidos a la pasividad y el egoísmo. Orwell temía que la
verdad nos fuera ocultada. Huxley temía que la verdad se ahogara en un
mar de irrelevancia. Orwell temía que nos convirtiéramos en una cultura
cautiva. Huxley temía que nos convirtiéramos en una cultura trivial...
En resumen, Orwell temía que lo que odiamos nos arruinaría. Huxley temía
que lo que amamos nos arruinaría."
As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions." "In 1984", Huxley added, "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.
Neil Postman
Note: more on Orwel vs Huxley in this link:
this link:
and this link:
Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain (2023)
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