|
|
This is a limited free preview of this book. Please buy full access.
Preface
I was walking on the beach one day, looking at my footprints in the sand. Then a gush of ocean water washed away my marks. The same thing happened when my daughter built a sand castle along with a sandy fleet of cars and trucks; it was a beautiful site until the waves eroded the sand dwelling she had worked so hard to build. I helped her dig a hole in the hope that we could catch the water in our handmade ditch to protect our beachfront property. However, after a few hours, ocean water was simply more prominent; its power dominated every sand structure we created.
For some reason, that experience at the beach got me thinking of what thing predominates in society. I suppose observing nature can do that at times—can cause one to drown in one’s own frivolous thoughts of life.
Imagine that there exists a social structure in society predominating over the impact of people’s individual efforts, much like ocean water on a beach. Are people at the mercy of the incoming tide? Can they control it, or does it control them?