Two Interesting Thoughts

I recently saw a very pleasant and cerebral conversation between Craig Ferguson, the Scottish gentleman on CBS after Letterman, and Stephen Fry, an English actor and playwright (I think) whom I recognize from the film V for Vendetta, as the TV show host and owner of a Qu'ran (which got his character killed).

One thing Mr. Fry said, on the topic of language, thinking of being studied by aliens from beyond earth, or intellectuals alien to our culture, that if we consider the worst things we as humans do to each other--harm, torture, abuse, be cruel in general--and then consider the best things--loving, being intimate, having and teaching kids--how inconsistent it would seem to the aliens the way in which we casually use the terms and language about the worst things; "Traffic was torture today," while when the word "fuck" is used, a curse word even, that represents, among many things, the most intimate act that humans do for both pleasure and procreation, the user is decried as dirty and wicked and considered ripe for censure.

Another thing that was discussed was the contrast between the modern European population and the American-descended-from-European-immigrant population. Today's Americans (that came from Europe) are descended from a gene pool that said "I'm outta here...there's something better far away, far away and unknown, and I'll find it or die trying," while today's Europeans descended from a gene pool that said "Ooooh, no no no. I'm good and fine right here."

That's definitely a simplification, probably even an oversimplification, but it made me think. It helps that that point of view came from two Europeans, and two Europeans that have since left the UK and moved to the States. But, still...