Adam Curtis on the Dangers of Self-Expression
- "the concrete practices of the tech industry now structure identity and individuality in ways that support its own hegemony. While it presents endless avenues for expression, it sees us as wholly reducible to market logic, where we are real to the degree that our consumption habits are rational. This vision of selfhood promotes uniformity and bou... See more
Emma Stamm • Who Can It Be Now — Real Life
Knowing that others have desired the things we desire and have encountered the same obstacles,” Brooks argued, “would not the creative forces of this country lose a little of the hectic individualism that keeps them from uniting against their common enemies?”
Lizzie O'Shea • Future Histories: What Ada Lovelace, Tom Paine, and the Paris Commune Can Teach Us About Digital Technology
I exist on a tightrope between pessimism and optimism. We’re living at a moment in time when there’s more intelligence on the planet than there has ever been. There’s also more connectivity between us, which multiplies that power. That gives me hope. But the power to direct the thoughts of the human race is in fewer and fewer hands. The Zuckerbergs... See more
James McMahon • Brian Eno: ‘Sex, drugs, art… they’re all ways of surrendering’
We don’t yet have great ways for talking about this new spirit of collectivism. The relationship between individuals and society has always been framed as a necessary compromise: we are told we must sacrifice our personal goals for the sake of the many. But what if it’s not a zero-sum, either/or? Humans, at our best, are capable of embracing seemin... See more