invisible

Invisible

by Bob on March 13, 2008

It’s either horrible or wonderfully sly to be invisible.

It has been a theme of stories from the most ancient of times and even topical today in our times and arts.

The story of the Ring of Gyges in Plato’s Republic teaches us a lesson about this double edged sword. Gyges found a gold ring which made him invisible. So, would he use it for good or for bad ? That’s a classic question.

In more modern times, we have "The Invisible Man" by H.G. Wells. It shows us that such power can lead to mental instability.

An old squash friend of mine wrote a book also on the topic which became a bestseller and later a movie: "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" by Harry Saint. It put a slightly different twist on the invisibility aspect, but still raised the classical concerns as an intellectual underswell.

Now if we talk about societally, being invisible can be a real drag. No one notices you, or cares if you exist.

Again, if one is a secret agent, then this is perfect.

But if one is just a plain human being, it hurts. No one likes to be un-noticed and uncared for. But it happens. And it is caustic.

The poor and homeless are in that category in our modern world. They are largely abandoned and left as unimportant, and so they are treated as invisible to society at large. This, too, is tragic.

We’re, after all, human, all too human, as Nietzsche would have said and we desire visibility and love.

When we can’t get it, life can be a real chore rather than a fun ride.

And the television and DVDs or iPODs or internet or films just are not the real thing in this sense. Someone once said that they had a TV for companionship.

Well, that’s a sad state of affairs for Mankind. I hope I’m not the only one on the planet earth who thinks so. But I might be.