How Do We Humanize An Inhumane (digital) Society?
With time travel mechanics not yet at our disposal to fix culturally-destructive mistakes, what are the options? At present, we know that inventing time travel through the idea of general relativity may not be possible compared to the study of quantum mechanics. Can the effects of time distortions rebuild colossally destroying human mistakes? When life-changing issues and eye-opening revelations transpire, they are in the news cycle for a transient period of time and then utterly ignored. Sure enough, follow-ups were made but hard-hitting questions are not asked and the perpetrators were babysat amidst a society that is always ready to move on after 15 minutes. Lest we forget, or it will happen yet again.
There is one overarching concern with time travel as a solution tool in the future, albeit the existence of The “Grandfather paradox” wherein it involves going back in time and accidentally killing one’s grandfather before one’s father is conceived — preventing one’s own birth, making it impossible to go back in time and kill one’s grandfather.
More than 100 years ago, Albert Einstein released his paper, “The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity.” Before this theory, we did not really understand how gravity worked. Newton told us about the “strength” of gravity, but his theory didn’t tell us how gravity pulls on things. This amazing work was brought about by a singular question, how does the Sun keep the Earth in orbit? What is gravity? The theory is deceptively simple and yet has profound implications in modern society and how this translates to the future on how humans deal with historical catastrophes to not repeat again.
While time travel has always been a positive idea among different generations now, its implication is rarely examined in a deeper vein. While it can be an ingenious method to rectify monumental mistakes for the better good it can ultimately precipitate the increase in bad, humanistic behaviors for the present. I would call this phenomenon as, the “Infinite cruelty paradox”, wherein the existence of time travel will adversely affect the proliferation of inhumane human behavior due to the notion that any actions can be corrected, therefore the present will unjustly suffer at the backdrop of the past and future.
The present time will constantly be under attack and irrelevant and so while we dissect the benefits of time traveling, the phrase “live in the moment” will be a foregone artifact.
This paradox has relevant causality that is yet explored in a contemporary context and yet, more than it is being far-flung, the future seems near as we go each day at a rapid pace than before. The digital life is a mirror of the reality, as we progress, both became intertwine to the point of existing as one. Freedom of speech comes with civic responsibility to do no harm, when did this philosophy disappear? Will it ever return?