Subj : Re: extreme programming (thoughts)
To   : comp.programming
From : wee
Date : Mon Jul 25 2005 08:25 am

>> to make art, IMO, it [literature, art]
>> has to reach many audience levels across many generations and
>> societies.

> Why?

Because, IMO, that is the indicator that the literature/art speaks to
something in human nature, which is common in all of us. If the work is
great like that, then there can be a commonality among people from
different levels of society, different societies, and different
generations, who'd otherwise not understand each other as well, if at
all.

For instance, at some level, Americans understand Shakespeare's Hamlet,
although they are not living in the 16th century, members of the
aristocracy, or English. Why does it speak to them? Because it paints a
picture of something that is common to all human nature, specifically
the pain and angst experienced when one is unable to act, and the
freedom of self it brings when one learns conviction and acts (even
though the act might also bring doom).

So, that is why I think it's important to find and read and keep great
works of art. We as the human species need to find things that are
common between us, that allow us to understand each other beyond the
trappings of society, societal level, or country.

.