I am no Elliott Jaques but from the smell of the air, from the color of the sky and from the emptiness on people’s faces, I am having doubts that our entire civilization is going through a mid life crisis, collective, not individual.
Signs are everywhere that we’re grappling with fundamental questions: Troubles, self expression, identity, consciousness, values, reasons, believes, stress, God, culture, family, career, gender, politics, technology, wars and money.
Trans is OK.
In today’s world, the freedom to redefine our identity seems limitless. We dismantle and reconstruct our personas, seeking fulfillment in a cycle of perpetual transformation. I can transition my identity to whatever I believe will give me fulfillment. but to make this transition, I break my identity apart, to atoms. I play God, but on a budget. I make and remake myself continuously. I am a bastard of myself. Then, ten years later, I may still find myself empty with a bruised empathetic shell. Unfulfilled, unaccomplished more and more lost. Also, I am on more supplements and drugs than ever.
The Paradox of Choice.
“My Dad never went to college, so of course its real important that I go. So I graduate, I call him up long-distance and say, ‘now what?’ He says, ‘get a job’. So, I’m 25, I call again and say, ‘now what?’ He says, ‘I dunno. Get married.’”
“I couldn’t get married. I’m a thirty-year-old boy.” – Tyler Durden
Tyler’s dad couldn’t tell us what now. My father couldn’t tell me what now, I have officially reached the end of society’s render on the acceptable variations. My mother couldn’t tell me what to do now. I guess I will just pick up another hobby that looks good on social media.
Life on broadcast.
Our society is brain washed. As individuals we put our best performance to wow people. A relentless exhibitionism. Social media off, no one will do a triathlon anymore. Switch off podcasts, we will go back to eating normal food and working OK hours. We carry energy that is not ours, we fixate on pain that we have not experienced, we think using people’s thoughts. It might take years to clean up the amount of clutter that we inherit everyday from just opening our eyes.
Technology: Personalized for you, you cookie cutter you.
This year things will be different. I will no longer be indecisive, I will figure out a plan and ill find my exit from toxic society, this is what what I told myself. I wrote on my notebook, I need a plan… Sigh…. few minutes later, I get a notification on my iPhone, ” Here is a playlist that we made for you”.
LOL.
Ecommerce, social media, AI seems to know us more than we know ourselves. So maybe I can ask ChatGPT on my future plans instead of another year failing to pave a road.
I wont do it, I have too much pride, even if I fail.
Now I get it though, we are extremely terrified of AI, because we have lost ourselves and the outlines of our existence. We no longer have control on when we start and when technology takes over. We now question everything with no reference or backbone. The data is manipulated, our parents advice is outdated and we are too busy faking a smile.
The art of being bored.
I’ve found solace in the simplest of moments, away from the echo chamber. Me, my cup of coffee, my pen and paper and the ceiling. While the algorithms continue to serenade me with accurate playlists. I vow to bore myself until I find a way.
FrequencyForty 