論工業社會及其未來-75

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在原始社會，人生是一連串的階段。當一個階段的需求和目的已經達成了，對於進行到下一階段就沒有特別不情願。一個年輕男性藉由狩獵經歷權力進程。狩獵並非為了娛樂或滿足感，而是為了獲取必須的肉來食用。（年輕女性的進程比較複雜，更加強調社會權力；我們將不會在此討論。）順利度過了這個階段後，這個年輕人毫不猶豫地定下來負起養家糊口的責任。（相較之下，某些現代人無限期延遲有小孩，因為他們太過忙於尋找某種「滿足感」。我們認為他們所需要的滿足感是充分的體驗權力進程──有真實的目標而不是替代性活動的人造目標）同樣的，當成功的養育他的小孩，經歷了提供他們物質必需品的權力進程後，這個原始人覺得自己的工作已完成並準備接受老去（如果他能活這麼久的話）及死亡。反之，許多現代人對於未來可能的身體退化和死亡感到煩惱，這可以從他們為嘗試保持體態、外貌及健康所費的大量努力中看出。我們認為這肇因於他們不曾將自己的身體力量用於任何實際的用途上，不曾經歷權力進程認真的使用他們自己的身體。原始人每天都使用他的身體於實際用途上，但卻不是原始人害怕老化的衰退，而是除了從自己的車走到自己屋子之外從不實際使用自己身體的現代人。在生命中對於權力進程的需求被滿足的人最能準備好接受此生命的結束。

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In primitive societies life is a succession of stages. The needs and purposes of one stage having been fulfilled, there is no particular reluctance about passing on to the next stage. A young man goes through the power process by becoming a hunter, hunting not for sport or for fulfillment but to get meat that is necessary for food. (In young women the process is more complex, with greater emphasis on social power; we won't discuss that here.) This phase having been successfully passed through, the young man has no reluctance about settling down to the responsibilities of raising a family. (In contrast, some modern people indefinitely postpone having children because they are too busy seeking some kind of "fulfillment." We suggest that the fulfillment they need is adequate experience of the power process---with real goals instead of the artificial goals of surrogate activities.) Again, having successfully raised his children, going through the power process by providing them with the physical necessities, the primitive man feels that his work is done and he is prepared to accept old age (if he survives that long) and death. Many modern people, on the other hand, are disturbed by the prospect of physical deterioration and death, as is shown by the amount of effort they expend trying to maintain their physical condition, appearance and health. We argue that this is due to unfulfillment resulting from the fact that they have never put their physical powers to any practical use, have never gone through the power process using their bodies in a serious way. It is not the primitive man, who has used his body daily for practical purposes, who fears the deterioration of age, but the modern man, who has never had a practical use for his body beyond walking from his car to his house. It is the man whose need for the power process has been satisfied during his life who is best prepared to accept the end of that life.