Seduction works in reverse. I watched "Shower" today. This subtitled Chinese movie tells a story of the collision between technological progress and old-times. I don't have a voracious appetite for foreign films. Even though I speak Mandarin, asian films seem foreign to me now - including those from Taiwan (where I was born.) I rented the DVD with optimistic caution, enticed by many approval stars and rave reviews displayed on the disk jacket. The story begins when a prodigal son returns from the city to his home town - a place that barely changed since he was a boy - to see his aging father. During the course of his stay, the son began to accept and finally embrace the very things he, as the "modern progressive" man, had once detested. The movie provided many occasions for crying. You have to watch the movie to see what I mean. I can tell you though, that we can all relate to this story regardless of where we are and who we are. The world is changing quickly. We have learned to take everything at face value and for granted. We make our lives complicated in hopes that we can concoct contentment within ourselves and in our lives. Then we become dependent on the technology we created and we wonder why we feel tired/stressed/rushed all the time. The situation we are in today reminds me of Achille's Paradox. I'm not focusing on the Zeno's discussion of the paradox and Aristotle's take on the paradox. I'm focusing on the actual continuum itself. Life is very much a continuum. Each of us have a certain amount of time to live, from birth to death - point A to point B. "Back in the old days," complexities, hedonism and materialism seemed sparse along Life's continuum. As progress manifested, man became more efficient and proficient. Occupations became specialized, then subspecialized. Machines became sensitive and sophisticated. Everyone tries to do more with less an in less time. Multi-tasking became our modus operandi. Man was successfully seduced by progress and technology. "Shower" is a movie that made me wonder if seduction works in reverse - if the modern man can be seduced by a "kinder, simpler" lifestyle. I wondered whether many of us will want to live as a large, extended family of neighbors who are our customers and friends. People you talk about impotence and marriage problems with. People you entrust your mentally handicapped child with. I remembered when I was in graduate school, my advisor told me of a student who was extremely successful as a research scientist. The student gave it all up and became a postman when he married and moved to a new town. My advisor said the student is happy because it was his choice to make, and he made the choice based on what brought him happiness. Most "success stories" I hear nowadays described how someone "made it big" or "struck it rich". But for a few - like the scientist who is now a postman, like the business man who returned home - seduction works in reverse. Copyright (c) 2001-2009 by Jane Chin, All Rights Reserved. Back to Rate of Attrition