Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Plato (on the flu-shot)

I never read Plato, but here i am reading a book by Saul Bellow. He says something about Plato that caught my attention, specifically because I am reading it exactly today.
I don't even know if this Saul Bellow is a well known writer. It's just that when i was hauling water last week, i picked the book out for it's title, in the Mendenhall free-store, which is beside the community well. (Our community only 40 or so people, it be interesting to find out, who read the book before me).

Anyway on this day, there were 3 people who advised me on going to get the flu shot, after they have stood in line for 3 hours to get one.
I am really wondering about this 'rage'. I used the same comment on all 3, "I haven't had a flu for 15 years". Of course that doesn't convince them, that i don't need this shot, and they explain it to me.

Honestly i don't know what to think of all this, but i do believe Plato might be on my side of the argument. If you know Plato or Freud (which i did read, but very long time ago)
Saul Bellow writes: "The angels failing, the physicians take over, as Plato foretold in the 'Symposium'. Love is replaced by Health, and Health is obtained by anatomical means. Freud himself writes the prescription, 'penis normalis, dosim, Then as pharmacology follows medicine, we shoot ourselves full of drugs....... etc"

Now i am a little worried that by not taking this shot, while everybody else does, i might just get that flu. But also i am worried for you who does take it.
En masse.
So in the end, to me , it doesn't matter one way or the other.

So, what is this all about?
I myself am not immune to these 'en masse' things of this era. For years i thought Brad Pitt was the most handsome man on the planet, along with many, many other woman, and i did read all the Harry Potter books, and i probably have caught many other 'flues' that sweep through our society.

Please, i am very interested, what you think?

5 comments:

Shaddaiah said...

Hi Precious, it's me :-)
Oh, as various the people are - as various are their beliefs and opinions.....
What to you believe my dear friend?
Plato was a very wise one. It is always good to check out all the info.
It is a multi million dollar business - imagine people saying "no" to all the hype and fear?
Why doubt, what you know in your heart is right?
With my love and blessings
Shaddaiah

Laurel said...

This same thing happened to me yesterday: I had two people tell me they had waited in line for 6 and 5 hours respectively for their flu shots, and were very concerned that I do the same soon.

I've never had a flu shot. I had the flu six years ago, but all my coworkers who had the shot got it too . . . I don't want to get the flu again, it was awful.

My instincts tell me not to get the shot, but fear tells me I should . . . I don't like to do things motivated by fear as fear points us in the wrong direction more often than the right direction.

And there is something hysterical about the way the media/society is reacting to this flu and that makes me want to take a step back and not join in. Hysteria is dangerous . . . but in the end, its just a vaccination, right? . . . I'm confused too.

Guess what I was reading yesterday? A book that contains Plato's Apology, The Golden Sayings of Epictetus, and The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. I don't usually read this kind of thing and I wasn't reading Plato; I got the book from the library to read Marcus Aurelius (who appears to have been one of the only enlightened leaders the world has ever known) . . . I find these ancient thinkers are very relevant to our times. Technology, even religions, have changed, but when I read them it seems there is nothing new under the sun and they often saw things more clearly back then than we do now because the world was less . . . I don't know, certainly not more simple, but perhaps less cluttered and less deceptive.

jozien said...

Thanks! I know indeed in my heart/instinct. So i know, not taking it, I will be OK, no matter what:)
And i am happy to know, i am not alone in this.

Sue said...

I loved Brad Pitt too - and actually I think he might be a good actor, underneath that pretty face. And the Harry Potter books.

As for the flu shot -- I'm still undecided, but I think maybe my kids should get it. I had the flu once, and I was very ill for soooo long. I don't want that again. On the other hand? I'm not likely to wait on line for it, at least not for longer than an hour.

But I won't tell YOU what to do - because if I said don't bother, and then you got the flu, I'd feel terrible!

Cicero Sings said...

For what it's worth, I have never taken the flu shot and will not. They tried to coerce me, when I worked, to get it and I still refused. They said if the flu went through the work place I'd be sent home without pay for two weeks. Fine I said, I'll enjoy the holiday. I'm of the mind that it is better to keep the immune system up, to fight its own battles, then to weaken the body with, who knows what all, in those vaccines. There is some interesting reading material out there ... I found it when I got the puppy and was wondering what, if any vaccines, to give him.