29 April 2013

Fairness.
This concept is entrenched in Western ideology, as well as in almost every rule of law
Today's Daily Quota asks the question, 'Is the concept of fairness inherent, 
Are all people born with the concept of social fairness? Is selfishness an inherent part of our psyche?
Do animals experience the concept of fairness, or its counterparts; jealousy, retribution etc.?

Jenny Diski made a contribution to this month's NewStatesman with an article titled The Paradox of Fairness.
She starts off by introducing us to the mindset of her mother-in-law - particularly her wails of self-pity. Phrases such as 'every dog has its day' and 'God, what have I done to deserve this?' best encompass her feeling if self-righteousness; particularly when she feels that she has been dealt an unfair set of life cards.

So are we, as humans, inherently drawn to believe in, fight for, and pursue the concept of fairness? Or is it our liberal upbringing that has conditioned us to believe that fairness is an absolute right and injustice is an absolute wrong?
Everything, from an early age, has taught us that fairness is a norm - books, movies, radio and fairy tales. She puts it this way:

Every child ever born has at some time or other wailed, "It's not fair." To which the adults answer, "Life isn't fair " and always, surely, with a sense of sorrow and a vague feeling of betrayal, but also an understanding that a vital lesson is being imparted. 

The underlying tone of her piece is that fairness seems to be a concept inherited at birth. She notes how new borns cry for their mothers' breasts, progressing into toddler tantrums - is it a selfish trait, or rather out of their own inability?

Diski recounts the above experiment from Georgia State University where worker monkeys were given pieces of cucumber. Then, some were given grapes, which are far sweeter and far tastier. The 'victimised' monkeys became agitated and threw their cucumbers - some even going on a complete sooky strike. 

Diski toys with a great concept - one that, if researched further, could have some profound implications about our human psyche. 

READ IT HERE