Influences to Become an Ik Essay

In Lewis Thomas’s essay â€Å"The Iks†, the Iks are described as cruel and detestable human beings. Iks grew up in their own ideal society as nomadic hunters and gatherers, but were soon forced to change into farmers on a poor hillside soil. After that, the Iks created their own views of how society acts to defend their self in their unworkable environment. The Iks treat their children as labor workers because they are put to work once they are able to walk. They desert their elders to starve and the children steal their food. The Iks breed without love or care for each other, which makes the breeding seem like a way to just increase their population. The only joy they get from life is by laughing at other people’s misfortune. Another bad quality they have is that they defecate on other people’s doorsteps. The Anthropologists believe that the Iks are cruel and detestable characters. However, Thomas believes that the Iks became who they are by copying that behavior from other groups. I agree that everyone has Ik characteristics from the influence of others. For everyone to have inner Ik characteristics, it would have to be from the influence of others. As Thomas states, â€Å"Cities have all the Ik characteristics†(82). Cities are a big influence because everyone watches or reads news about how they treat each other and others. They portray Ik characteristics on themselves or others. Thomas states that cities have the same qualities as Iks because they also have greedy and heartless characteristics, and they could have been an influence on the Iks. Cities portray Ik characteristics on their own or on others. The people living in the cities desert their elders in a less harsh sounding way, by sending them to senior centers. Senior centers are similar to deserting elders because one pays another to take care of their elders, so they do not have to deal with them. Cities also laugh at other people’s misfortune. In addition, cities also defecate on other properties. They ways that they defecate on themselves are by littering. People litter all over the environment, where the cities had to take action and create laws that would punish those who litter. To show a cleaner environment to others, rules are made to stop people who do not care about the environment. In addition, Thomas says, â€Å"No wonder the Iks seem familiar. For total greed, rapacity, heartlessness, and irresponsibility there is nothing to match a nation†(82). A nation strives to protect themselves and for other nations to respect their area. However, war is a big factor on how the Iks are cruel to others. There is only fighting and distain between the nations that are in war with each other. For example, â€Å"†¦editorials in every American and European newspaper and magazine of note adding to this vocabulary of gigantism and apocalypse, each use of which is plainly designed to inflame the reader’s indignant passion as a member†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (105). This shows that the news is a big factor on how the citizen of the nation acts. If the news says how despicable one country is, then all the citizens would believe the same and act angrily towards them. All these characteristics are ways that influence how the Iks act towards each other in their own society. Thomas’s ideas are true because people grow and change from watching the actions of others. Especially, with how they were treated and forced to change their lifestyle. This rude and forceful way of changing them are also factors in the Ik character. People hold Ik like characteristics from different kinds of entertainment and how others typically react to it. The only enjoyment Iks get in life is from laughing at other peoples’ misfortune. This is portrayed in current society through the media, such as movies or television shows. Recently I watched the movie Jackass 3D because my friend went to go see it. This movie directly relates to how Iks get enjoyment from other peoples troubles. The whole movie was about a group of guys doing stupid and harmful activities to make the audience laugh. The movie did bring some laughter out of the audience, but there were also scenes that were shocking or displeasing to watch. However, the whole point of the movie was the make the audiences laugh by watching their misfortune. There are also video clips on YouTube with similar concepts. Even though people in the videos get seriously injured or die, there are still people that find enjoyment from watching it. These are all characteristics that can influence others to hold the same characteristics as the Iks. As Thomas believes, the Iks would have to have some sort of influence to become the way they are. Overall, I agree with Thomas that the Iks were influenced by some outer group to become the way they are. People grow up with different characters depending on how their society lives and acts towards others. Cities and nations are a big influence to how people act towards one another. They also influence each other on what is funny to laugh at. Without the influence of others, movies like Jackass 3D would not even be a movie if they did not know that people enjoy laughing at their stupid activities. In addition, the Iks were treated badly by the people that forced them to change their lifestyle. These traits are the sorts of ideas that give people Ik characteristics.