Sunday, January 14, 2007

simple logic

Last week, S and I were driving home and she was sitting quietly in her seat, apparently deep in thought. Because, out of the blue, she asked me why we pay rent.

My attempt at 4-year-old logic didn't satisfy her ("because the woman who owns the house takes care of it and we pay her to keep our house in good shape"). "But why?" was her reply. So I took a new tack: "she does it to make money."
S: (annoyed) so that she can have more money than us!?!
Me: yes
S: (still annoyed and slightly yelling) But that's not fair!

Yes, folks, the 4-year old has capitalism all figured out. What surprises me is how easily we unlearning this logic over the subsequent years. (I guess it helps that all of society is oriented towards indoctrination and hammers it home again, and again, and again.)

1 comment:

Cabiria said...

Wow -- that story really says it all. I feel reassured that S. will be leading the revolution 25 years from now, 'cause the rest of us will be tired by then.