In the beginning of Moby Dick, Ishmael simply will not shut up about how much man is drawn to water. His exhaustive list of examples is so convincing that it might be one of those few truths about humanity. Indeed, for seemingly obvious reasons, mankind builds (and thus brings an entire societal package) near the water whenever possible. We are taught to believe that these obvious reasons are fixed; reasons like trade, business, economics, etc. While waterways encourage all of these things, I posit an alternate reason for the fascination with fluids. I shall call it Fluid Theory.
If one considers some of the trends in evolutionary growth among organisms, several interesting changes have occurred. First, single cell organisms (like bacteria) existed. Next, small clusters of cells, often with specialization in types of cells, conglomerated to form more complex organisms. Finally, species with groupings of highly specialized cell complexes (organs) developed. One way to look at quadrupeds is as an unified organism. For example, one might say “there is a moose” or “there is a cow” as though these life forms are single units. The same applies to human beings. We rarely characterize humans merely as complex groupings of bi-pedal cell-conglomerates. Yet, in an essential view, to be human is to be a barely contained meat-sack stuffed with putrid fluids or fluid-like substances. Many will feel immediately uncomfortable with such a characterization. Surely things like artistic expression and human love place us above such base terms?
Yet, if you look closely at any person near you, you will realize that their fluids are ever trying to escape. Consider the sheer variety of fluids that come out of a human body (either by accident or on purpose) and their quantities over a lifetime. For the purposes of a respectable talk, we can leave many of these to imagination. This list of no less than 8 fluids merely represents those which interact “outside” of our bodies. The human body contains countless internal fluids and fluid like substances held in delicate equilibrium (many of which would be unpleasant if experienced outside of their context). This includes stomach acid, lymph, bile, mucus, etc.
By itself, that the human body is so fluid oriented is not surprising or meaningful. Yet if one considers the amount of social energy that is put into considering one’s fluid exchanges around, near, or with other human beings, it becomes clear exactly how interested in fluids we are (almost definitely in a subconscious kind of way). For example, many humans are bothered when someone they come into contact with is sweating. Yet, the amount of discomfort can be measured through social energy. The discomfort is directly based on the amount of social familiarity, status (do you like them or not), and sex of the individual in question. When someone meets a sweaty stranger who wants to shake hands, they might feel great discomfort. Yet if that same person meets an equally sweaty friend from their high school football team, they might actually feel comforted by this reaffirmation of their activities together back in the day. These are but two examples among a thousand, each with their own degree of discomfort.
Two other fluids that create countless social energy are, of course, semen and vaginal fluids. Both of these, when taken out of context, are not particularly pleasant fluids. Yet, consider the sheer amount of energy that people expend simply trying to align their feelings about their fluids and the fluids of others with the level of desire they have for another person. Keep in mind that I do not think nearly anyone does commits this energy consciously (no, only I am cursed in this way). Yet, underneath the staring and elevated heart rates that often occur when humans become interested in each other is one fluid looking for a home amongst other fluids.
One could track similar social energies for every fluid that we ever come into contact with. Why do only babies drink human breast milk? Why not adults? What about all of the complex weirdness around going to the bathroom? Why do some people get paralyzed in public bathrooms yet another can urinate in a room full of drunken people? What about menstrual fluids? The tension involved between the genders concerning this fluid is exhaustively complex. Yet, every day, we walk around in complete ignorance of our fluids. We have been taught to live around them; pretend they are not there; that they are not important. I challenge you to ask yourself how you interact with your fluids; you might be surprised with what you come up with.
I intend to elaborate on this theory one day, so I consider it copyrighted material of James Davis, 2009.
This is sooo interesting. Cool post.
Did you know Herman Melville died so forgotten that his NYT obit called him “Henry Melville?”
jim…you are copyrighted in heaven.
“Yet, every day, we walk around in complete ignorance of our fluids. We have been taught to live around them; pretend they are not there; that they are not important.”
I would submit that this willful “ignorance” requires so much policing and monitoring that it can never truly be called ignorance. We always know. We *have* to have complete awareness, to prevent the unthinkable…