I totally agree with your analysis on intellectual recession. You can't even walk through a park anymore without constant noise - everyone's got headphones, music blasting, phones buzzing. We've become so terrified of our own thoughts that we're drowning out our inner voice completely
Thing is, that's where real innovation comes from. The quiet moments where your subconscious mind gets to speak up. In my opinion, that's the main reason we're all consuming AI-generated slop instead of creating anything meaningful ourselves. We have become consumption addicts.
Great to see you back Lily and more on point than ever! Excellent article.
It is depressing out there, but I guess that is part of the bigger picture. They want us isolated,hopeless, glued to technology for the brief feeling of belonging to something,even though it is pointless and inane. Keeping us lonely and miserable will make it much easier for the powers that be tethered to our devices in order to eat, earn and travel and ultimately survive. The majority of people are scared to be alone,afraid of the silence instead of embracing it. Case in point, the latest craze on the second term of The Apprentice has people far and wide,thinking people,people who’s opinions I have respected for their political commentary or opinion’s on a broad range of topics get fully on-board with the “Iran was 15 minutes away from a nuclear weapon” narrative, not even blinking an eye to the fact that the same people finance both sides of the upcoming war. Who is going to benefit from it and how. Palantir and Starlink might come to mind aside from the usual suspects. To think a year and a half ago some guys on powered parachutes glided gracefully into THE most heavily surveilled and protected country on the planet to kick this entire charade off. The social media drivel has effectively destroyed the section of society’s brains that makes us capable of thinking critically. We are putty, mouldable to whatever they require.
I think most of the thinkers, with positive views, remain in personal bunkers to avoid the hate mail. There are a few, like yourself, who express concerns of top-down control. But the majority are not posting and prefer to just go about their day and avoid the rage-personalities.
Sensational piece Lily. In my 79 years on this planet I have witnessed the destruction of community by profit breaking the back of religious values and belief. Divide and conquer has always been the means by which the few dominate the many and now the genius of technology has been bastardized to dehumanise us. Already it has been shown that constant Zoom meeting cause stress because we are designed to communicate using all of our senses and just a head and neck restricts our intrinsic workings as human beings. We desperately need a new take on religion/spirituality to address that part of us that is crying out to be heard and which corporate values can never touch or support. AI is now causing some concerns as it is reducing our need to think and analyse which will mentally suffocate us. Something then tech bros constantly seek and which I truly believe will blow back in their faces when society finally wakes up and demands a life of purpose, whatever that might be for each individual. We are not machines and never will be no matter how hard the Zuckerberg's of the new age persist in trying to shape us. The internet has brought us all together like never before in our history and it is now scaring the few shitless because we are uniting gradually and removing the veil they have hidden behind for millennia. Change is a constant in Life and the challenge now is to keep our heads down and never ever stop believing in who and what we are!!!
I had the desire to spontaneously combust while reading this. Odd way to start a comment. Translation is.... HO-ly-SHIT I relate and you hit all of the things dead on the nose. Thank you.
Well, now, I went from the deeper truth about AI into the next part of your post… (well into depression)… and then finishing off with some hope. Another comment I read was from a 79 year-old,….nice… subscribers of all ages enjoy your writing. I’m 78 soon to be 79. I live on Cape Cod. I’ve been here for over 50 years. I’ve seen great changes. We’re no longer that Patti Page song Old Cape Cod. The extreme wealthy and wealthy have moved in and are buying up properties left and right at ridiculously absorbent prices. Houses that should go for $400,00 are selling for 1,000,000 or more especially if you have a view of a pond never mind the ocean. My granddaughters who grew up here, 26 and 27, can’t afford a house. One is in marketing and the other a vet tech. The possibility of them finally getting a house is extremely low. They might find an old dilapidated cottage from the 1940s 50s or 60s and not even those are at this point close to a half $1 million. What would their mortgage be somewhere around $3,000 a month and plus renovations then kick in the taxes that are constantly increasing.
I took a very minor stand the other day at the supermarket. It was 8:30 at night and all the cashiers were “closed”, (the supermarket closes at 12 midnight) only self checkout available. I’ll stand in line 15 minutes if I have to because I refuse to use self check out. The reason…I see many men and women my age who must go back to work for economic reasons. Self check out takes jobs away plus forces me to do the company’s work. So I went up to a manager and I said I refuse to use… their slot machines…please open up an aisle. Well, he found someone and did open up the register. I’m retired so I have the time to do this kind of foolishness.
I do enjoy your writings very much, I’m looking for some more of your great history posts, are any coming?
I totally agree with your analysis on intellectual recession. You can't even walk through a park anymore without constant noise - everyone's got headphones, music blasting, phones buzzing. We've become so terrified of our own thoughts that we're drowning out our inner voice completely
Thing is, that's where real innovation comes from. The quiet moments where your subconscious mind gets to speak up. In my opinion, that's the main reason we're all consuming AI-generated slop instead of creating anything meaningful ourselves. We have become consumption addicts.
Great to see you back Lily and more on point than ever! Excellent article.
It is depressing out there, but I guess that is part of the bigger picture. They want us isolated,hopeless, glued to technology for the brief feeling of belonging to something,even though it is pointless and inane. Keeping us lonely and miserable will make it much easier for the powers that be tethered to our devices in order to eat, earn and travel and ultimately survive. The majority of people are scared to be alone,afraid of the silence instead of embracing it. Case in point, the latest craze on the second term of The Apprentice has people far and wide,thinking people,people who’s opinions I have respected for their political commentary or opinion’s on a broad range of topics get fully on-board with the “Iran was 15 minutes away from a nuclear weapon” narrative, not even blinking an eye to the fact that the same people finance both sides of the upcoming war. Who is going to benefit from it and how. Palantir and Starlink might come to mind aside from the usual suspects. To think a year and a half ago some guys on powered parachutes glided gracefully into THE most heavily surveilled and protected country on the planet to kick this entire charade off. The social media drivel has effectively destroyed the section of society’s brains that makes us capable of thinking critically. We are putty, mouldable to whatever they require.
Once again,many thanks for your work!
I think most of the thinkers, with positive views, remain in personal bunkers to avoid the hate mail. There are a few, like yourself, who express concerns of top-down control. But the majority are not posting and prefer to just go about their day and avoid the rage-personalities.
Thanks for this Lily. The feelings invoked in me prompted memories of Pete Hamill's sleeve notes on Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks album from years ago http://www.bobdylancommentaries.com/peter-hamill-has-died-wrote-liner-notes-for-blood-on-the-tracks/
Sensational piece Lily. In my 79 years on this planet I have witnessed the destruction of community by profit breaking the back of religious values and belief. Divide and conquer has always been the means by which the few dominate the many and now the genius of technology has been bastardized to dehumanise us. Already it has been shown that constant Zoom meeting cause stress because we are designed to communicate using all of our senses and just a head and neck restricts our intrinsic workings as human beings. We desperately need a new take on religion/spirituality to address that part of us that is crying out to be heard and which corporate values can never touch or support. AI is now causing some concerns as it is reducing our need to think and analyse which will mentally suffocate us. Something then tech bros constantly seek and which I truly believe will blow back in their faces when society finally wakes up and demands a life of purpose, whatever that might be for each individual. We are not machines and never will be no matter how hard the Zuckerberg's of the new age persist in trying to shape us. The internet has brought us all together like never before in our history and it is now scaring the few shitless because we are uniting gradually and removing the veil they have hidden behind for millennia. Change is a constant in Life and the challenge now is to keep our heads down and never ever stop believing in who and what we are!!!
Two words. Beautiful Lily!
I had the desire to spontaneously combust while reading this. Odd way to start a comment. Translation is.... HO-ly-SHIT I relate and you hit all of the things dead on the nose. Thank you.
What a fantastic summary of the modern age, there is lots of good out there, switch off sometimes, go discover, be kind, do good deeds, thank you Lily
Well, now, I went from the deeper truth about AI into the next part of your post… (well into depression)… and then finishing off with some hope. Another comment I read was from a 79 year-old,….nice… subscribers of all ages enjoy your writing. I’m 78 soon to be 79. I live on Cape Cod. I’ve been here for over 50 years. I’ve seen great changes. We’re no longer that Patti Page song Old Cape Cod. The extreme wealthy and wealthy have moved in and are buying up properties left and right at ridiculously absorbent prices. Houses that should go for $400,00 are selling for 1,000,000 or more especially if you have a view of a pond never mind the ocean. My granddaughters who grew up here, 26 and 27, can’t afford a house. One is in marketing and the other a vet tech. The possibility of them finally getting a house is extremely low. They might find an old dilapidated cottage from the 1940s 50s or 60s and not even those are at this point close to a half $1 million. What would their mortgage be somewhere around $3,000 a month and plus renovations then kick in the taxes that are constantly increasing.
I took a very minor stand the other day at the supermarket. It was 8:30 at night and all the cashiers were “closed”, (the supermarket closes at 12 midnight) only self checkout available. I’ll stand in line 15 minutes if I have to because I refuse to use self check out. The reason…I see many men and women my age who must go back to work for economic reasons. Self check out takes jobs away plus forces me to do the company’s work. So I went up to a manager and I said I refuse to use… their slot machines…please open up an aisle. Well, he found someone and did open up the register. I’m retired so I have the time to do this kind of foolishness.
I do enjoy your writings very much, I’m looking for some more of your great history posts, are any coming?