Content Creature
we're shaped by conformity.
went to norway, got starbucks.
The best propaganda’s the one you don’t recognise.
Real eyes realise real lies.
And other slogans you can print on shirts.
See what I mean?
Let’s not sacrifice the beauty of the individual for the harmony of the group by wearing silly hats and branded shirts. “Says the metal man wearing mainly bandshirts.” Yeah, but that’s a part of my individuality, the expression of parts of my innermost identity. That has nothing to do with belonging to a group, rather with distancing from another - well, maybe it shows support for groups of people that make the sort of music I like, and it advertises their art. But, you’re right. In distancing myself from mainstream behavior I’ve joined a group that finds commonality in defying a certain set of rules and behaviors and replaces that by a silently and mutually agreed upon set of rules and behaviors that the group respects and admires. And I wouldn’t want to upset the group, now, would I?
Well fuck.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. And rambling again. Already.
<pls read that in a Sam Elliott type of manner>
So, who the fuck am I? Or you, respectively?
Social Media’s the great equalizer. Trends are global. Influenza.
Looks are global. Haircuts. Stores. Advertisments.
You see an ad for some lifestyle shit in Australia.
You want it.
Music’s global.
Stores are global.
Went to Norway, first thing out of the airport was a Starbucks and a Burger King.
Could’ve stayed home.
But that’s how influence works
You’ve seen shit often enough. You’re touched by it. You want it. Now.
Maybe it takes a while, but eventually you’ll want it.
If there’s enough people that want it too.
You’ll get used to it.
No worries.
And in some time you’ll miss it if it’s gone.
And while global accessibility offers great opportunity it reduces us to whatever someone else thinks is cool, or wants to sell us. “But Chris, that’s always been like that!” - well, really?
We’re little content creatures.
Bound to the will of the content creators.
Lifestyle is what we want it to be.
And whatever we want’s predetermined. Sort of.
Coming back to the question “Does Free Will exist?”
And for fun’s sake, let’s call it Free Willy.
Does Free Willy exist?
What we wanna eat’s predetermined by our gut biome - to a degree.
The rest is habit. What we wanna think is predetermined by the neural pathways we’ve created throughout our lives - to a degree. Selective perception. Bias. And other phenomenaeae.
What we wanna be is predetermined by our surroundings, patterns, interests, thoughts, the options we have and other people and their influence - to a degree.
So, does Free Willy exist?
Like I said: It’s Hard to be Concrete. Nailing it especially.
But it’s possible, me thinks.
With a ton of effort and the will to dissent, a lot is possible.
You gotta be yourself in the process, tho.
And that’s hard.
Like, do you have any idea who you are?
Apart from all the ways we try and express our identity?
By manners of grouply accepted behavior.
Is that a word? Grouply?
It now is.
Still, all you have is yourself and the time you got.
So, why not be yourself?
Well, that’d mean that you’re not gonna be someone else.
And someone else won’t be able to relate to you as easily.
But give ‘em time.
People need time to grasp shit they’ve not smelled before.
But once their olfactory glands start to find a liking to your particular blend they’ll appreciate you for being yourself.
That’s what I hope at least.
At least that’s what I’ve witnessed with stepping out in the open, being as weird as I feel.
When people don’t know shit about you - they react in various ways. Some like it, some hate it, most of ‘em don’t care. Sort of a gaussian distribution of reactions. But as it goes with statistical phenomenaeaeae, over time if there’s anything to it, they’ll average out.
An outcome to be expected will be expectable.
Even if it isn’t at the start, where I suppose we all still are.
And ideally always will be.
Constantly reiterating.
Your audience is whoever you are, little content creature.
So, who’s your audience gonna be?
This is Chris speaking:
Attention is scarce. You shared some of yours - thank you!
This was a Counterpoint for this month’s Flagship Essay It’s Hard to be Concrete.
Other than that: Further reading is mandatory, but not enforced.
Thanks for considering to Buy me a Coffee! ☕️
