Carol (Kidman) is having a dinner with Ben (Craig) and his friends. A friend of Ben's, Yorish, started a conversation and they had a very interesting one. I just can't help but quote some of them.
Yorish:
"... A veneer of civility hides our true self-interests. "
" I say that civilization is an illusion,a game of pretend.
What is real is the fact that we arestill animals, driven by primal instincts. "
Carol:
"To be honest, ambassador, when someone starts talking to me about the truth...
...I hear what they tell me about themselves...... more than what they say about the world."
Yorish:
" All I am saying is that civilization crumbles whenever we need it most.
In the right situation... we are all capable of the most terrible crimes.
To imagine a world where this was not so...
where every crisis did not result in new atrocities...
where every newspaper is not full of war and violence...
...
Well, this is to imagine a world where human beings cease to be... human. "
Carol's rebuttal:
"While I'll give you that we still retain some basic animal instincts...
...you must admit we're not the same animal we were a few thousand years ago.
True. Read Piaget or Kohlberg... ...or Maslow, Graves, Wilber,
and you'll see we're still evolving. Our consciousness is changing.
Five hundred years ago, postmodern feminists didn't exist...
...yet one sits right beside you today.
While that fact may not undo all the terrible things that have been done in this world...
...at least it gives me reason to believe one day things may be different. "
Ain't that nice? I think it's neat.
