LETTER FROM
THE EDITOR
in superficial interactions that
create the illusion of companionship without the demands of
friendship, as Turkle puts it.
Jaweed also speaks with David Brooks, who has written extensively in The New York Times
about the decline of the “humanist vocation,” and a shortage of
people asking the enduring questions. As Brooks puts it, “People
are hungry for a certain kind of
writing about these issues, but we
no longer have that kind of group
of writers widely discussing how
you measure a life.”
It’s a change that is reflected
across college campuses as well,
where only 7 percent of graduates
major in the humanities — half
the number from 50 years ago.
Elsewhere in the issue, we
feature the voice of New York
farmer Bob Comis, who reflects
on his own humanity in a haunting piece about killing for a living.
He charts his personal evolution
from someone who felt deeply
the death of every farm animal he
slaughtered to one who has become inured to death and dying.
As he puts it: “after taking part
in the deaths of nearly 2,000 ani-
HUFFINGTON
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mals, death has become a shadow
of what it once was to me.”
Bianca Bosker explores the cultural significance of Google Glass’
presence in the pages of Vogue’s
September issue. “Its placement in
The more connected
we are to our devices,
the more we engage in
superficial interactions
that create the ‘illusion of
companionship’ without
the ‘demands of friendship.’”
a high-fashion magazine alongside
a $1,545 mohair sweater, $2,300
turtleneck and $4,490 teal coat
is a step toward positioning the
wearable device as a status symbol,” Bianca writes, comparing it to
how Apple has elevated gadgets to
the level of fashion accessories.
Finally, as part of our continuing focus on The Third Metric,
we look at the many ways changing
your breathing can change
your life for the better.
ARIANNA