They worked ... we benefit.

So this morning I was taking a shower and it's not really anything out of the ordinary. I adjusted the water so that it was a good temperature. I got in and soaked my hair and face, and started singing "Five Dollar .... Five Dollar ... Five Dollar foot-long". Stupid jingle. I dare you to get that song out of your head today.

After the soaking of the head I pushed all my hair out of my face. I reached for the shampoo bottle, put some in my hands and put the bottle back then it happened. I caught the fine print on the bottle and it said "This product was not tested on animals". Ok so that's really not that out of the ordinary, but it did get me thinking about that statement.

The idea is supposed to be that the consumer can feel good about purchasing and using this product because it hasn't caused a poor little monkey/mouse/cat any pain. Crap, now I want a Monkey-mouse-cat and doubt I'll be able to think of anything else to write. Pooh. Pushing through to my point.

First of all, I'm not that compassionate when it comes to animals I guess. Sure I get sickened by the Michael Vick's of this world, but even that isn't because of the pain the animal is in. Rather it's the pain that there exists the kind of violent natures in some people, that this would be considered entertaining. But again that's not the point of this story.

The point I'm trying to make is about the claim. I don't see how this shampoo or any other product that would make a statement like this, can make that claim. I will concede that the stuff that was put into this bottle was never tested on an animal. Claiming this batch of shampoo, or even this exact formula of shampoo was never being tested on animals is plausible, but here's the rub. The knowledge that these chemicals, combined in this would do no harm to your consumers was built on the work of multiple chemists and researchers, some of whom at one time or another did tests on animals. The point is this.

No knowledge is achieved independently. There is an inter connectivity between social beings and to expand the concept, between the entire universe. No man is an island. United we stand, divided we fall. We must live together, or perish alone. You can take the boy out of Clairmont, but you can't take Clairmont out of the boy. Ok that last one was a little week but watch this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0sRtwgn36w and you'll understand.

Now to internalize. Think of how much work it took for a jetliner to get built. One person couldn't have done it. Terry can attest to the amount of work that it takes, and the amount of people that it involves. Now add to the people that worked on it directly, the people who's innovation, learning, and sweat contributed to the effort before that plane was conceived. Just like people, knowledge has a genealogy. Before the 747 was the Jet Engine, based on the propeller, based on wing structure worked on by the Wrights who got their ideas from a glider club they were in, which club probably got ideas from DeVinci who probably got his idea from some unknown ... who in turn got the idea from watching birds which were created by .... well God.

It's really awesome. The epiphanies you can have in the shower.