The Death of Human Interaction

“I never met a man who was less interested in the living. Sometimes I think that’s the trouble with the world: too many people in high places who are stone-cold dead (68).” These wise words spoken by Marvin Breed bare an uncomfortable message. Underlying this criticism of Felix Hoenikker’s character is a warning of mankind’s technological capacity for mass destruction. Though it appears Vonnegut was referring to mass destruction in the sense of a nuclear holocaust of sorts, I also believe this mass destruction could be figuratively interpreted as a socio-cultural destruction—a death of human interaction, a loss of interest in “the living.”

Exhibit A: Felix Hoenikker (duh). He is a perfect example of how excessive science and technology can destroy human relations. He allowed his entire life, both professional and private, to revolve around science experiments. Rather than love and cherish his family, he dedicated every ounce of his being to his laboratory work. Felix’s neglected children seemed fairly unharmed at first, but considering that their desperate attempts to find happiness led to the destruction of the entire world, it is safe to say that they were far from okay. The search for happiness is perhaps the most universal of human endeavors and a noble goal, but these people failed to realize that happiness is found in people, in human relationships—not in exploiting Ice-9 for all it’s worth. When you think about it, at the end of the day the Hoenikkers had nothing real to live for and hold onto, their lives had no meaning. If only Felix cared more about “the living”… But while it is fairly easy to point the accusatory finger at Felix Hoenikker and reproach him for being too invested in science and technology, I cannot help but wonder…are we any different?

Exhibit B: us (yikes). Cat’s Cradle was written well before the Internet took over the planet, yet many of its themes have resonance with today’s technological developments. Our generation has witnessed an ever-increasing pace of scientific advancement, especially with the creation of Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Social networking is a great tool for connecting with people from all different walks of life, sharing thoughts and ideas, keeping in touch with family members, catching up with old acquaintances or just simply as a means of self expression. There is, however, a dangerous downside to social networking which is becoming more predominant by the day. Unfortunately, these very same tools that we use to socially network and communicate with each other have rapidly torn down and deteriorated our social skills when we find ourselves physically face-to-face with each other. The media plays a big part in promoting this. In fact, I remember seeing a wireless telephone commercial where a couple sitting at a dinner table was sending text messages to each other. The man says, “Did you just break up with me in a text message?” The woman not only affirms his question but also points out that with her new phone plan she can break up with him via e-mail as well as with a phone call. The man is aghast. The fact that companies are now advertising face-to-face human interaction as unnecessary makes me question how far we are willing to let this go.

Science and technology have evolved into a revered institution of truth and knowledge. And most of us treat such advancements as dogma without questioning whether it is all necessarily beneficial and for the good of all. I am as guilty as everyone else. Sure, I love facebook-stalking people and updating my status as much as anyone else, but at what cost? Cat’s Cradle ridicules this by emphasizing that sheer human stupidity is not only alive and well, but also ignorant of its consequences. Maybe we all need to learn a lesson from Felix and pay a little more attention to “the living.”