3 Taboo Questions You Aren’t Allowed to Ask in Modern Society

When it comes to our modern society we like to believe that we live in an age of enlightenment where we are free to discuss ideas openly. Although this may be more true when compared to some past societies there are still some questions that are off limits. Common among all societies is a core set of beliefs or myths that must be agreed upon by all members of that society. If those myths are proved to be untrue than the society itself will be proven to be invalid. It is therefore imperative that the myths that anchor the society are not questioned. To question them is therefore taboo.

Does technology actually improve our lives?

The standard answer in our society is of course yes! Technology makes our lives more convenient and comfortable and unlocks new discoveries about our world and the universe. We are on a path to living in a Star Trek type world. To question this narrative is considered heresy. Want to find the fastest way to be labeled a crazy person? Question whether or not technology on a whole actually improves our lives and you will be put in the same category as the uni-bomber, or luddites.

There is no question that technology has upsides but what about the downsides? Do the upsides outweigh the negatives? Does the convenience of having a cell phone outweigh the fact that it’s destroying our attention spans, dismantling our social bonds, spiking anxiety, and distorting our perception of reality? I don’t have a definitive answer but it’s worth talking about.

Are things getting better or worse?

The myth of perpetual progress. In order for our civilization to continue we all must believe that the path we’re on is leading to a better future because if not why bother? For the first time we are starting to see cracks in this narrative where the most recent generation no longer believes their lives will be better than their parents. This is a major shift in the perception of the direction of our society.

Is our civilization sustainable?

Even if things are getting better is it possible to sustain our way of living indefinitely? It’s no secret that we’re not exactly the most environmentally friendly society that has ever existed. Species are going extinct at an alarming rate, wild places are few and far between, we’re slowly poising ourselves and becoming increasingly infertile by dumping plastics and other harmful chemicals into the environment and so on. Which begs the question can this go on forever? The hard truth is that all civilizations that have every existed have collapsed. There are no exceptions. Odds are ours will eventually collapse too. We do not want to pull our heads out of the sand and wrestle with the idea that our way of life will come to an end. We want to keep going on like this forever. Which unfortunately is not reality.