I Had A Random Thought...

[Ninety-Three]

The comment spawned an interesting conversation between the lady and I last night, about it being a potentially good thing if the negative connotation got lost. Like Eve, the story is about demonizing women (Pandora is the first woman) and curiosity, while encouraging blind devotion and faith. If you can flip that, even unintentionally, that's kind of an awesome thing to do.

 

I don't think flipping it works though. If Pandora had kept the box closed, the world would be a better place. Sure there's no hope, but there also isn't a box's worth of evil running around necessitating hope. Even putting aside that, who unleashes hope? In the versions I've heard, Pandora doesn't want to open the box a second time, and she has to be persuaded to do so by someone else*, so the cure for blind faith is more blind faith?

 

*I remember a version where the second opening isn't ever Pandora's intent, but that doesn't exactly help cast her in a positive light either.

[Gormongous]

I don't think flipping it works though. If Pandora had kept the box closed, the world would be a better place. Sure there's no hope, but there also isn't a box's worth of evil running around necessitating hope. Even putting aside that, who unleashes hope? In the versions I've heard, Pandora doesn't want to open the box a second time, and she has to be persuaded to do so by someone else*, so the cure for blind faith is more blind faith?

 

*I remember a version where the second opening isn't ever Pandora's intent, but that doesn't exactly help cast her in a positive light either.

 

Yeah, the version I remember from Hesiod is that the box is given as a present from the gods to the first two humans. They gathered up every evil in the world that could afflict the couple and put it in the box to give as a gift to them. Of course, being a woman in a Greek myth, Pandora was convinced that they'd hidden some really nice things in the box that they told her not to open just so that they could laugh at her for being so gullible. She opens the box, all the evils escape, and depending on the version she either closes it quickly, trapping Hope in her keeping, or starts to close it before seeing that Hope is still at the bottom, which she sets free to combat the evils. The question is really why Hope was in the box in the first place, but then the Greek gods are serious dicks, so...

[Ninety-Three]

The question is really why Hope was in the box in the first place, but then the Greek gods are serious dicks, so...

 

You say they're dicks, but they took every evil and locked it safely in a box. Seems like a pretty nice thing to do. From that perspective hope makes sense as a safety measure: "Well in case they do go and do the one thing we tell them not to do, let's at least put in hope so they can cope with the evil they release".

 

Of course they were generally dicks, but in this story their only fault is failing to understand that humans are more curious than trusting.

[Gormongous]

You say they're dicks, but they took every evil and locked it safely in a box. Seems like a pretty nice thing to do. From that perspective hope makes sense as a safety measure: "Well in case they do go and do the one thing we tell them not to do, let's at least put in hope so they can cope with the evil they release".

 

That's a neat way to think of it. I'd never seen it that way before.

[Bjorn]

I thought part of the story was that they also gave Pandora curiosity, basically guaranteeing she would open it, but letting them put the responsibility on Pandora's shoulders rather than their own.

[Apple Cider]

It's probably so the tale didn't end in a complete downer. It's why Return of the Jedi happened, but in Greek myth.

[miffy495]

There's also the far more cynical view that hope is also an evil as it causes us to be even more let down when the other evils get to us.

[N1njaSquirrel]

Do your pupils ever bump into you over summer and get all, "Woah, Mr Miffy, you're, like... totally badass!"

 

This out of context made it sound like Miffy has weird talking eyes.

[Ben X]

context made it sound like Miffy has weird talking

 

This out of context made it sound like the setting for a statement caused it to imply that he speaks strangely.

[Reyturner]

This out of context

[SuperBiasedMan]

This out of context yo

[N1njaSquirrel]

 

This

[Ben X]

 

 

his

[SecretAsianMan]

You are all the worst.  This needs no context.

[JonCole]

This needs no context.

 

I appreciate you saying that we're all awesome, needing no context.

[SecretAsianMan]

Anytime.

[N1njaSquirrel]

 

 

 

 

You are all the worst.  This needs no context.

 

 

[SecretAsianMan]

I said no context!

[osmosisch]

I said no context for you! One year!

[N1njaSquirrel]

You are all the worst.  This needs no.

[Zeusthecat]

I was browsing the GG thread and it reminded me of how annoyed I am by how much relevance has been given to the concepts of 'Liking' and 'Re-tweeting' and '#Hashtagging'. Lately I just have almost no desire to deal with the internet because I feel like so much of it is just full of people displaying completely binary opinions on things so that they fit nicely into these social media frameworks. It's especially frustrating when I think about my own opinions on things and how they might change with my mood or how I might like parts of a thing and not like other parts of a thing. Or sometimes I start out loving/hating something and after thinking about it, decide that I actually hate/love it.

 

And it is even more irritating seeing people who feel the need to offer an opinion on every little thing just because they have a platform to do so. 

 

I guess I'm just feeling a bit irritable lately and craving a chill atmosphere. Also, I feel like most of this post is ironic.

[dibs]

My coworkers pointed out i was in a good mood today. I got loads of work done and then did some desk dancing to Push It.

[sclpls]

I was browsing the GG thread and it reminded me of how annoyed I am by how much relevance has been given to the concepts of 'Liking' and 'Re-tweeting' and '#Hashtagging'. Lately I just have almost no desire to deal with the internet because I feel like so much of it is just full of people displaying completely binary opinions on things so that they fit nicely into these social media frameworks. It's especially frustrating when I think about my own opinions on things and how they might change with my mood or how I might like parts of a thing and not like other parts of a thing. Or sometimes I start out loving/hating something and after thinking about it, decide that I actually hate/love it.

 

And it is even more irritating seeing people who feel the need to offer an opinion on every little thing just because they have a platform to do so. 

 

I guess I'm just feeling a bit irritable lately and craving a chill atmosphere. Also, I feel like most of this post is ironic.

 

It is times like this when you should let yourself read a very good book!

[Zeusthecat]

It is times like this when you should let yourself read a very good book!

 

Yeah, that's probably a good call. I'm definitely in the mood for some good isolation right now (as I write a post on a forum on the internet). But who knows, I'm sure it will swing the other way again soon and I'll be craving social interaction again. 

[Bjorn]

You could always talk about poop, that seems to cheer you up.