Replace popcorn with whole grains, mozzarella with Nutella, and brain jogging with Ecstasy. Although there is no sugar, there is a great deal more activity. Is life also about self-control, or is it all about enjoyment?
I envisage Homo Optimus' limbo to be similar to the Alster Fitness Center in Hamburg: Collective drudgery and groaning prevail on apparatus based on medieval torture gadgets like the stretching ladder and the Spanish trestle. Well-trained persons who have been rigorously disciplined do masochistic fitness choreographies while dangling and hopscotching. Perhaps they enjoy what they're doing, but it doesn't appear so to me.
Are we still concerned about our health or do we deserve to be pitied?
Could it be that, from the annual fast to the workout that needs the murder of a pig every time, we're sacrificing more and more of our lives on the altar of the health gods? And who among us still indulges in sweets without feeling guilty? At least in my world, such people are as uncommon as those who jog for the purpose of the exercise. We sweat because we are pedaling for the fitness gods, outfitted with technology that tracks our body functions as if we were combustion engines rather than human beings, not because we are resting in the sun (beware of UV radiation!).
Are we still concerned about our health or do we deserve to be pitied? I, for one, put myself under stress by fitting exercise into my regular routine three times each week. I either avoid sugary and fatty foods or eat them quickly in the dark in a futile attempt to get the calories out of my system before it detects them. I also feel horrible when I consume alcohol, which has recently been proven to be carcinogenic. How lovely and sadly gone are the days when we were certain that "a decent glass of wine" would never damage anyone.
Where have all the euphoria and debauchery gone?
We also teach self-discipline, self-mortification, and snacks to the children. My 16-year-old spends his summer vacation researching healthy food and writing down his findings on Post-its that he posts over his desk as a reminder. At least when it comes to meat, he's nearly devoid of sweetness.
He refuses to drink alcohol and smoke, which makes me very happy. My son, however, at an age when I smoked half a pack of cigarettes a day and my mother opened a can of ravioli for lunch because it was trendy and time-saving (the time saved might be spent on more enjoyable things than cooking), says: "No Coke for me, it's unhealthy." And no, he's not a weirdo; he's a normal guy with pals. Is he, however, having a good time? And who else is having a good time? Where is the exploration, the enthusiasm, the ecstasy, the breaching of boundaries, even if the beauty of life is not candy and cigarettes?
On the other hand, it's no surprise that even children are becoming health evangelists, refusing to drink Coke after hearing their parents' sugar warnings from bacon-covered baby legs and later being given Buddha Bowls and bulgur burgers by influencers. They no longer find multicolored chemical balls in chewing gum vending machines, those rusted relics of more carefree culinary times, but at least in our neighborhood: bee flower seeds.
Concerns everywhere - where are we headed?
All of these advancements that make us more health-conscious people are beneficial, if not healthy. However, we must ensure that we do not lose our zest for life in the process of optimizing our bodies. Especially because Corona has once again aided in the development of self-control and the prevention of any debauchery. The last year and a half have made us more aware than ever of what it means to give up life for fear of death. "We are gradually placing ourselves under an imperative to do everything we can to live as long as possible in good health," said philosopher Thea Dorn, who also offered the intriguing question:
If we take care all the time, what is left of what makes our lives valuable and meaningful?
So, what's left now? Perhaps not much, because Barbara Vinken, a scientist, also diagnoses "dysphoric aging." Where formerly there was a sense of adventure, there is now a growing sense of dread. That's why we prefer bathing suits to bikinis: "We're terrified of the heat, and we're afraid of other people's appearances." I'd add that ticks, sugar, booze, and white flour are all things we're terrified of. Fixating on what appears to be bad, on the other hand, does not make us joyful - and may even make us sick. Besides, even we super-privileged Europeans have enough real-world concerns with climate change and pandemics to care less about the white flour percentage of the waffles at the school festival.
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HEALTHY