“Time Will Explain”

“Time will explain.” - Jane Austen

I brought some books to house sit, but I really didn’t need to as there are many, MANY books on every wall in this house. I picked up this one on the first day and finished it yesterday. A great read for many reasons. I learned about where so many of our household terms and practices come from.

But, perhaps, more interesting is realizing how far we’ve come in such a relatively short time (250 years). And how ridiculous some of our practices and beliefs look now with some perspective. At the same time, it’s stunning how some things really haven’t changed.

An example:

The Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus, whose “Essay on the Principle of Population as It Affects the Future Improvements of Society” which became resoundingly influential wrote, “Even when they have an opportunity of saving, they (the poor) seldom exercise it for all that is beyond their present necessities goes, generally speaking, to the alehouse.”

This was during a time when average life expectancy was 18.5 years and children were put to work as early as 4. “As ever, those who suffered most were the youngest, yet their welfare and safety excited remarkably scant attention.”

Makes me wonder how we will look back at our present world many years down the road?

P.S. If you’re going to use a book to support an argument, READ IT! I’ve had a number of discussions lately about books where the person “quoting” the book, after some questioning, has admitted they didn’t actually read it. Instead, they simply “know” what someone else has cherry-picked and interpreted about the book. The irony is these same people often complain about bias. But if you want to avoid bias, the best way to do so is to read the book yourself.