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Ordinary Madness

This episode shows three people trying to cope with city life and meet their needs in the city environment. Here are some points for reflection and discussion to consider as you watch it.

 

A - Survival

All three interviewees speak of the hectic pace of city life.

  • Just not enough hours. Seems like it’s too much and you can’t do it.

  • I’m near the end of my tether.

  • There’s just too much of everything here.

  • My mum called me today and it made all the difference.

  • I’m making it I think.

  1. If city life is so hectic, why do you think people stay in the rat race?

  2. In your view what do they gain and what do they trade off to stay in the fast lane?

  3. Is it just the pace of life that puts these people in survival mode? What else about their lifestyle could be creating pressure?

  4. How do you think people can cope with the fast lane?

 

B - Fun

All three people being interviewed seem to be down on recreation because they are driven by life’s demands.

  • I think I’ll just rent some videos and chill out.

  • I think, ‘am I here alone in the night after a long day?'

  • I go to some of the clubs at night and I see emptiness everywhere.

  1. How does each person try to squeeze recreation into his or her life? Why do you think is it hard to get recreation into his or her lifestyle?

  2. To what extent do you think the workplace is the place where fulfillment and hence fun now happens? If it is the centre of life, do you think this is all right?

  3. Loneliness seems to take away some of the fun, yet people are trapped in it. How do you see people escaping loneliness?

 

C - Identity

Each person is seeking identity in the workplace and the madness of city life.

  • Show me the wealth of my true self.

  • That’s all really good, but it doesn’t fit in this form. You don’t fit in the box.

  • We are like products basically.

  • Why do we have to have to stick a logo over everything — people are just products now.

  1. Do you agree with Milton that we are "products", duped by marketing hype and used for profit by the large companies?

  2. What do you think of Fiona’s view that "they" (politicics, media and business) are trying to confine us, so that we don’t have to think, and that we are becoming desensitized? Is this view simplistic or realistic?

  3. How is our own identity shaped by the pace, the media and the materialism of our society? What processes do you see going on through these influences?

 

D - Meaning

There is a search for meaning going on in the different conversations.

  • We’ve separated ourselves from everything by our choice.

  • It’s a bit sad but I have come to clutch material objects.

  • The idea in New York is just keep moving.

  • I see ten million people wasting a lot of time.

  • I went to see my bank manager to see if he really existed — and wasn’t just a hard drive somewhere.

  1. How do you see each person trying to make sense of life?

  2. Do you think that living in a city would lead you to see life as meaning something different to what it does now if you are living outside a city?

  3. If people have to see their bank manager to see if he exists, how do you think technology is changing their view of what is real?

 

E - Spirituality

The video shows hints of the quest for spirituality. Consider the quotes below.

  • I ache inside because I see emptiness happening, uselessness happening.

  • What am I going to do to leave an imprint?

  • People are looking for something precious.

  1. Do you think that quotes like those above, and what you have seen, suggest that anybody interviewed has some kind of spiritual inclination, or is on a spiritual quest in life?

  2. How do people you know express their spirituality?

  3. What do you think it means to be spiritual?

 

F - Overview

  • We all know the train is heading over a cliff … but we still get on board.

  1. How do you see we are dealing effectively with the pace of our lives?

  2. Are you part of ordinary madness? In what ways if any?

  3. What does the episode say to you essentially? Do you agree with its central message?

  4. What would you suggest to those interviewed in the episode, about surviving in cities?

  5. How do you think relationships figure in helping people escape madness?

 

 
  

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