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HELL NOW ON EARTH
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
Life nowadays has become less simple, definitely more complicated. Our fundamental needs might have
remained the same, but they have somehow grown to encompass being (qualities), having (things), doing
(actions) and interacting (settings) (from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_human_needs
). The 36-
cell matrix that classified human needs in a taxonomy of sorts outlines the other requirements that people
have in order to survive, this time in a modern setting. As the world has grown, so has the needs of man. It can
be difficult to determine whether this is a good or a bad thing, since diversity may be good or bad also. But one
thing is certain: our needs have broadened so much that addressing them sufficiently has become problematic.
In Dan Brown’s latest book entitled INFERNO, the reality of the world’s burgeoning population becomes the
central gist of the whole story. With the way global population increases in unprecedented levels, the earth
may not possess enough resources to feed or satisfy its human inhabitants. The radical solution may only be an
epidemic similar to the Black Death in Europe during the Dark Ages in order to bring down the population to a
more comfortable level. The question that is ultimately thrown to the protagonist is “If you could throw a
switch and randomly kill half the population on earth, would you do it?…What if you were told that if you
didn’t throw that switch right now, the human race would be extinct in the next hundred years?” (From
INFERNO by Dan Brown)
Now comes the respiratory corona virus in the Middle East that has been called by the World Health
Organization as “a threat to the entire world.” The implications of its deadliness are scary. Hopefully, the threat
will die down, but what would happen if it doesn’t? Is this perhaps heaven’s way of purging the world’s
population so that the human race will not grow extinct? There’s still no need to panic, but the what ifs are still
there.
I am a single parent to seven children. My family and I have managed to keep everything simple in our lives.
Making ends meet is a circadian battle that my family and I have to face and try hard to triumph over. There
have been times when the simpler thing to do is just do nothing and wait for the tide to just turn, but most
times, doing nothing is just irresponsible. In order to survive, my children have learned to ask for nothing more
than the basic and expect nothing greater than the simplest rewards for their efforts. Safety from global
threats-including the corona virus-is a prayer that I need to say now. To have any of my kids go sick would be a
complication I can not afford to even imagine.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1.
Why is life nowadays more complicated?
2.
How can people live in simplicity? Elaborate on your answer.
3.
Who is your role model on simplicity? Why is that so?
4.
Can you answer the theoretical question put forward by Dan Brown in his novel? Explain your choice of
answer.
5.
Why was life in the old days much simpler that it is today? Expound on your answer and use examples, as
needed.