Talk

A fishy metaphor

I've had a solitary Betta inhabiting my acquarium for a couple of weeks now. He's transcended his initial shyness and over time become quite a happy little fish. Today in a bid to increase the population of my little sea world I introduced two new cast members to this Betta monologue. The actors, a red sword fish and a black molly entered their new home at 6:13 pm. My Betta, a modicum of zen contentment shed his philosophical beliefs with alacrity. At first an examination of the new comers was conducted. The welcome given was quite intrusive and soon the Betta was pursuing his companions around the small container. I watched with awe and a growing sense of despair that my utopia of brotherly-fish-love would not come to fruition.

Sitting there watching the manners with which these fish conducted themselves struck me as particularly telling about the human world. Here was a sated Betta with more than enough resources. The moment two harmless fish were introduced, his primal existence instincts kicked in and he made them unwelcome. My first reaction was to dip into my bag of Marxian characters and label the Betta as a capitalist pig with little respect for the fact that there was enough for all three of them. Soon, another thought bubbled to the top. Was this a metaphor for my existence. Am I swimming through the plastic plants/rocks of work/life/friends and fighting off attackers only to end my existence in the 'toilet'? If these fish knew they were all destined for the wasteland on the other end of the porcelain chute would they still persist in this manner?

My negative remarks about the 'capitalist' fish were received with caution by my friend. I hastened to point out that I wasnt against capitalism. I believed that the social contract that existed in the fish tank was the perfect Hobbesian world (nasty, bruitish and short). The American capitalist system framed upon the important works of Thomas Paine provided the essential social contract where we were allowed to discover our own happiness as long as the rights of others were not infringed. Sitting there watching these fish affected me negatively. I have now returned to my solipsistic world. The fish dont exist. The determination of the result of the fish-feud will not be subject Heisenbergian uncertainty. When I return to watch the results, I would have fast forwarded through the 'fight' and results will be patently obvious. I will accept the results, much like I do this world's treatment. I will not complain, I will make do and make the best of what I have.