Gratification In Brave New World

Today’s society is one of instants: Instant downloads, instant messaging, instant shipping, instant oatmeal, instant movies, instant gratification. For many, the idea of having the world on a whim is a thrilling human achievement. For others, such as Paul Roberts and Aldous Huxley, this instant gratification is their nightmare. In Robert’s case, he theorizes that humans are designed to work hard and to struggle. By taking away any sort of effort and hardship, humans are being numbed, dumbed down and destructive. Huxley, in his novel Brave New World, sets up an entire society that relying on mass production, mass consumption, and instant gratification. This immediacy and efficiencies creates a world of mindless drone humans skating through life

Pain, discomfort, suffering, depression, does not exist. Citizens of this world are conditioned from a young age to seek pleasure above all: to be satisfied with where they are, to be addicted to a drug that takes away all negative emotions, to be “happy.”When young they are conditioned to like certain things, like outdoor sports, but have a disdain for other things, such as flowers. In this situation, people would enjoy the recreational use of the outdoors, but dislike it enough that they want to come back to the city.Essentially, they are conditioned to ultimately “consume manufactured articles as well as transportation”(Huxley 23). Similarly, our world encourages mass consumption as well. Mass production and consumption subsequently create instant gratification, we don 't have to wait for products to be made or delivered, its there right away. Roberts’ article supports the fact that our world and Huxley’s world aren’t so far off from each other. As seen in the qoute, society today is rejects all modes of inconvenience. People don’t want to struggle or work to get something. They want it, and they want it now, and for the most part, they get it. If people feel any sort of negative emotion, happiness is two clicks away. In Huxley’s world, when they want something, they, as well, get it right away. If they want someone, they can have them; afterall, “everyone

In Huxley’s fictional world, everything is mass produced, including happiness; there is no reason for any negative emotion. In Roberts’ reality , people exist to consume, and everything is now, now, now. Roberts theorizes that this is one of the reasons that our society, social and economic, is declining: people are becoming too dependent and too self- centered. For me, on one side, a fast paced economy means more product and greater access to necessary goods and services. On the contrary, unnecessary goods have taken over people’s lives. We live to get rid of struggle, to find the quickest way possible, no matter the cost. Ultimately, I believe that our society is approaching, if not already at, being an image of Huxley’s Brave New World; a society of no inconveniences, no struggle, but also no innovation, no art, no creativity, and no feelings, which ultimately, is a society I would chose not to live