Reconditioning

The Strugatskys have a very interesting term. Conditioning – a process in which a special agent, before being sent to an alien planet with a harsher culture, underwent mental retraining – forgetting the rules of the civilized world and becoming less sensitive to what he was about to witness – to what, on a more advanced planet, would have been seen as unacceptable, monstrous.

I often think back to this term. One evening, sitting on the terrace of a skyscraper, I was speaking with the CTO of some conglomerate. I wanted to understand how he looks at this world, who he believes himself to be within it. That day I asked him: how do you remain yourself under that kind of pressure? Have you not lost your real self in this endless race? When he heard my question, he laughed.

Your real self? There is no such thing. It’s all fiction. You have obligations, and you fill a role. Have you ever wondered why some of the most famous U.S. presidents were actors? Remaining yourself… leave that to Hollywood.

The Strugatskys also have the reverse term. Reconditioning. When the agent returned from the mission, his mind was restored to its former state. He became civilized again, progressive again. He became himself. Or did he become what he used to be?