Greece is Lindy
Greek ideas that stand the test of time
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🏛️ Greece is Lindy
Greeks invented everything.
Well, we didn’t. But we did give life to many ideas that have stood the test of time.
These inventions are what we call Lindy.
What does that mean? Here is a short explanation of the Lindy effect:
The longer a period something has survived to exist or be used in the present, the longer its remaining life expectancy.
In essence, the more time an idea or technology has stayed around, the more we should expect to see it around in the future too.
Greece has blessed this world with many such Lindy creations. Some are more obvious than others.
The obvious Lindy contributions of Greece
Democracy (thanks Cleisthenes and Pericles)
Philosophy (thanks Thales)
Modern medicine (thanks Hippocrates)
Geometry (thanks Euclid)
Computers (thanks Antikythera mechanism)
Robotics (thanks automatic servant of Philon)
Hydrodynamic screw (thanks Archimedes)
Pap Test (thanks George Papanikolaou)
Global sports competitions (thanks Ancient Olympic Games)
These are well known and respected inventions. Nothing surprising here. If anything, this list reminds us that it has been a long time since someone in Greece last made a significant contribution to push the boundaries of human existence.
But what about the less obvious parts?
We have a bunch of softer Lindy “inventions” that have served us well over millennia.
The less obvious Lindy elements of Greece
Filoxenia. Our supremacy in tourism is not a coincidence. We love to treat our guests with warmth and care, from the poorest village to the best hotel.
Bearing gifts. There’s a reason the Trojan horse was so successful, giving birth to one of the most famous quotes in history: “beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” Greeks never go to a house empty-handed. Not even when at war. Thanking our hosts for their filoxenia with a small token of appreciation is ingrained in our culture.
Slow, social eating. Loud dinners with family and friends, often until very late, are the hallmark of Greek social life. We take our time. We enjoy our food and each other's company. Part of our authenticity and the best cure for depression.
Olive oil everywhere. In Ancient Athens, olives were considered the sacred symbol of divine blessing and wisdom. Not a coincidence. Today, we add olive oil in just about every one of our plates, making the Greek diet both healthy and tasty.
Celebrating name days. We don’t celebrate each other just once per year on our birthday. We do it twice, coming together for a second day to celebrate each of our names with friends and family. Even if your name is not related to any of the Greek Orthodox saints, the All Saints Day makes sure that nobody feels left out.
Relentless dancing. There are more than 10,000 traditional dances across Greece. Whether at panigiria, bouzoukia, weddings, parties, festivals, religious activities, or at the face of death, Greeks have always danced their hearts out.
I love science, technology, numbers and tangible results. And yet these softer parts of our culture are also important. There are good reasons why they have remained so forceful in our lives through the centuries.
They work. They rock. And they make our lives better, even if we don’t realize it.
We should appreciate them more often.
The most Lindy piece of Greece
What is the most Lindy part of Greece?
I reached out to Paul Skallas, the predominant expert on all things Lindy and famous flaneur behind LindyMan, who is also of Greek origin.
Here is what Paul had to say:
“The whole thing is Lindy, isn’t it? Lately, I’ve been thinking about the Greek language. You hear about the Romans say it is effete. Many people in history have kind of said the same thing. Even compared to Italian, Greek is somehow less vulgar. It’s the software that forces someone to be civilized.”
So, there you have it folks: the Greek language is the very software of civilization!
Is this an overstatement? I don’t think so.
In fact, here is an academic view of the Lindy power of the Greek language by Dr. Polyvia Parara from UMD’s Classics Department:
The Greek language’s uniqueness is that its descriptive meanings shape the man intellectually and ethically and guide him to his intellectual and ethical upliftment. It is more than just language but also a tool for creating a civilization that defines concepts authentically and with clarity, deepens and shapes the human ethos, and mobilizes one’s imagination.
Have I been drinking too much of our own kool-aid lately? Perhaps.
But we have come a very long way and made it this far. Despite major catastrophes, we keep coming back.
That must count for something. Right?
I believe it does. It shows strength. Resilience. Durability.
Greece is Lindy, after all.
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📌 Spotlight: European Elections 2024
Many of you will be voting in this Sunday’s European elections.
I’ll be honest: this has been a very demotivating electoral period in Greece.
Rather than concentrating on critical issues we face as a country and continent, local parties and media spent every day talking about lifestyle and irrelevant issues.
No wonder we expect a record number of abstention.
In any case, I’ll be definitely going to the polls. I hope you do too. Happy voting!
P.S. Huge thanks to the 212 people who completed the feedback form I sent earlier this week. The quality of responses has been nothing sort of amazing. Your support means a lot to me.
I always love hearing from you. Make sure to hit that reply button!
Until next time!
thanks for the shout-out! :)
Legendary essay. Was about to say that the Greek language is Lindy as I started reading it!
"Philoinvestor" ;)