If you have been paying any attention to the culture in the last decade you will have noticed something that I like to call “the flattening of meaning.” This occurs when the culture decides that everything is society is exactly as valuable, meaningful and important as absolutely everything else in society, and everything is given the exact same amount of social status because nothing is more valuable, excellent praiseworthy, worthwhile, beautiful, or important then any other thing. Nothing is inherently, objectively better, more desirable, superior, greater or more excellent any other thing. Everything from fashion choices, to lifestyle choices, to relationship decisions is only considered to be valuable, worthwhile or good as a matter of individual opinion, not as a matter of objective fact. So while individuals might like or appreciate some things more than others, on a social level, everything that exists has exactly the same status as everything else that exists. The idea that some things are to be lifted up above other things is tossed aside and everything is placed on the exact same even plane. The mountain range of culture where some things have a higher status than other things because they are considered to be better, greater, superior, excellent, important, or more meaningful is bulldozed and flattened, and everything is placed on a flattened out cultural plane where everything has the exact same social status as every other thing.
I feel this emptiness every day. The plumb lines are fading but for my own orientation with God. I have such sadness for the children coming up who have never lived in the analog world. Generation X, of which I am a part, will be the last that remembers a world straddling analog and digital. If we can find a way to have life matter more in the analog than digital, perhaps we can cement that meaning, community, drive to excel, appreciate.
How can we do this given the clear preference by Millennials and Gen Z for online/curbside life. The reaction to the virus only hastened the virtual, blurred the lines between real and pretend, gamified interactions & motivations. We traded it all to be safe and numb; traded life IRL to star as NPCs.
You're not free of propagandizing here yourself; you leave no room for women who don't feel the desire for a life partner or children. Certainly it's the biological imperative of our species to mate and reproduce; certainly most people desire stable and loving intimacy; certainly many people desire children and find parenthood their most meaningful experience.
Women who don't aren't also-rans in the game of life, and I think you're conflating truly empty and immature people with those who might perplex you by their self-sufficiency.
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Phil 4:8
I believe the more important question is WHY. WHY is this being pushed onto teh public against the over all publics desire to embrace it? This post modern nihilism sounds like a great way to cause a society to implode making it ripe to reset
re: the illustration and by the same token, the flattening of meaning includes giving equal value to undereducated people and professional journalists.
re: the illustration and by the same token, the flattening of meaning includes giving equal value to undereducated people and professional journalists.
How does "Being married" trump being faithful? Most married ppl cheat, the piece of paper counts for nothing. Most parents are shit at that job, if they weren't, we wouldn't be in this current predicament. Your measures of what makes a good person are faulty, well meaning maybe, but flawed. (@SCA in the thread below says it better than I).
I feel this emptiness every day. The plumb lines are fading but for my own orientation with God. I have such sadness for the children coming up who have never lived in the analog world. Generation X, of which I am a part, will be the last that remembers a world straddling analog and digital. If we can find a way to have life matter more in the analog than digital, perhaps we can cement that meaning, community, drive to excel, appreciate.
How can we do this given the clear preference by Millennials and Gen Z for online/curbside life. The reaction to the virus only hastened the virtual, blurred the lines between real and pretend, gamified interactions & motivations. We traded it all to be safe and numb; traded life IRL to star as NPCs.
Dear God, how do we get back?
You're not free of propagandizing here yourself; you leave no room for women who don't feel the desire for a life partner or children. Certainly it's the biological imperative of our species to mate and reproduce; certainly most people desire stable and loving intimacy; certainly many people desire children and find parenthood their most meaningful experience.
Women who don't aren't also-rans in the game of life, and I think you're conflating truly empty and immature people with those who might perplex you by their self-sufficiency.
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Phil 4:8
I believe the more important question is WHY. WHY is this being pushed onto teh public against the over all publics desire to embrace it? This post modern nihilism sounds like a great way to cause a society to implode making it ripe to reset
Excellent essay. I’m sharing it.
re: the illustration and by the same token, the flattening of meaning includes giving equal value to undereducated people and professional journalists.
re: the illustration and by the same token, the flattening of meaning includes giving equal value to undereducated people and professional journalists.
The notion of "flattening of meaning" dates back to at least the 1980s, with Jameson; it is not a novel emergence of the 2010s.
While I sympathize with your desire for meaning, I would ask why your critique of modernity's depthlessness appears to focus exclusively on women.
How does "Being married" trump being faithful? Most married ppl cheat, the piece of paper counts for nothing. Most parents are shit at that job, if they weren't, we wouldn't be in this current predicament. Your measures of what makes a good person are faulty, well meaning maybe, but flawed. (@SCA in the thread below says it better than I).
Awesome! Thanks for being so clear!