The values of family in space (op-ed)

[Admin]

The frontier culture of space will enhance and revitalize the concept of family, even as it has seemed to fade in the societies that are launching this new era.

The values of family in space (op-ed) : Read more

 

[Unclear Engineer]

This opinion piece seems to be the "view through rose colored glasses".

It is correct that people on dangerous missions tend to bond emotionally. But, they are not random samples of humanity. They are both self-selected and then culled by authoritative processes to fit the needed aptitudes and attitudes.

So, initially, I think space colonies, where the first inhabitants have been selected based on their specific personalities, will perform as this opinion expresses.

But, a real colony is self- sustaining by biological reproduction. And, that introduces the randomness of the full variability of human psychology.

While it it true that a lot of an individual's personality is molded by parental influences, there is some part of an individual's personality that seems to not be amenable to parental influences. So, some fraction of people will probably always be psychopaths, introverts, or just plain crazy illogical. Some may become suicidal.

How an isolated space colony deals with individuals who are dangerously non-conformist is the issue. Despite what this opinion piece says about guests in the desert, other societies, including non-human societies, have processes for casting out those whom the group will not tolerate. Can the offenders in a space colony be sent back to Earth? Or will they be killed?

And, if there is an authority that has the power of live and death over individuals in a colony, will that power be attained by someone who will abuse it?

And, realistically, what humans fight about on Earth is territory and resources. If there are competing colonies in space, will they end up going to war with each other?

 

[Classical Motion]

I know I couldn't go. They would Sparta me. Leave me on a heap somewhere.

 

[Atlan0001]

Part taken from "From drop of water...." (#668) a few minutes ago (having just discovered this particular Article Commentary piece:

Herein, a generality, as, for just one thing, my being a lifelong close student of history:

"I'm not a sad old figure of a man . . . thanks very much to my wonderful wife (of 56+ years), our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, and the rest of a great family we've been blessed with and love (I used "my" rather than "our" and thank goodness! she didn't see it). I have the history studied realization and sense of vision; I can visualize; I can and will fight to the end of my own life -- in this life, that is -- for their Frontier Universe (U) and their frontier universes (u), just as I fight for their possibility of breakout birth from the womb of this closing systemic Earth (Stephen Hawking giving Mankind at most 1,000 years until extinction if there is no breakout birth out) into the next frontier universe.... inclusive of a next frontier Earth base as very much an Old World / New World part of that New World frontier!"
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"Aim at Heaven (the heavens) and you get the Earth thrown in. Aim at Earth and you get neither." -- C. S. Lewis (parenthetic my add-on).