This Simian World by Clarence Day
page 31 of 60 (51%)
page 31 of 60 (51%)
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Most of the ambitious simians who try it--out of pride--go to sleep.
The typical simian brain is supremely distractable, and it's really too jumpy by nature to endure much reflection. Therefore many more of them will be well-informed than sagacious. This will result in their knowing most things far too soon, at too early a stage of civilization to use them aright. They will learn to make valuable explosives at a stage in their growth, when they will use them not only in industries, but for killing brave men. They will devise ways to mine coal efficiently, in enormous amounts, at a stage when they won't know enough to conserve it, and will waste their few stores. They will use up a lot of it in a simian habit[1] called travel. This will consist in queer little hurried runs over the globe, to see ten thousand things in the hope of thus filling their minds. [1] Even in a wild state, the monkey is restless and does not live in lairs. Their minds will be full enough. Their intelligence will be active and keen. It will have a constant tendency however to outstrip their wisdom. Their intelligence will enable them to build great industrial systems before they have the wisdom and goodness to run them aright. They will form greater political empires than they will have strength to guide. They will endlessly quarrel about which is the best scheme of government, without stopping to realize that learning to govern comes first. (The average simian will imagine he knows without learning.) |
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