I was only a chapter or two behind this reading until I hit Mond’s monologue. A chapter long speech is just a really bad way to story tell and once I put the book down, it took me ages to pick up again.
It’s funny that people always see our society in 1984 when it’s clearly brave new world. We get all our desires fulfilled at the expense of our basic humanity. Yes, everyone is happy at their jobs and there’s easy entertainment and pleasure. If there’s ever a worry, there’s soma to fix it. Technology used to make people happy, that’s good right? But what’s missing is forming deep connections to each other, art, curiosity, intelligence, and heroism.
I couldn’t help but think of the technology/conveniences I accept as trade offs for my humanity; I don’t use ChatGPT but obv all AI and algorithms replace our curiosity and ability to critique. I use earbuds when I walk out the door because god forbid my brain is bored for a moment. My face six inches from a screen more than I’d like to admit.
I saw a clip of Fran Lebowitz saying when AIDs killed artists and lovers of art, the culture died with them. An intelligent audience is critical for art to thrive. This is us now, forced to watch marvel movies and cop shows for all eternity because we don’t have the knowledge for deeper and more complex art. Bring back othello!!!
I read this in high school and remember using Mond's monologue again and again for my English essays but yeah, reading it 15 years later it was hard to get through despite its prescience.
You're spot on about technology, the soma of our time. I've always been hopeful that we could overcome the algorithm and attention economy but AI complicates all of this so much. That a machine can read a book for us and write an essay for us is even scarier than a simple algorithm. That high schoolers see ChatGPT as a lifesaver and cheat code is devastating. What's more terrifying is just how more powerful this technology will become. We're approaching a world where critical thinking is devalued and synthetic media will proliferate and truth itself will be the casualty--it already is.
Bring back Othello!! We're at least doing our part by reading, by focusing, and by trying to pursue truth.
I was only a chapter or two behind this reading until I hit Mond’s monologue. A chapter long speech is just a really bad way to story tell and once I put the book down, it took me ages to pick up again.
It’s funny that people always see our society in 1984 when it’s clearly brave new world. We get all our desires fulfilled at the expense of our basic humanity. Yes, everyone is happy at their jobs and there’s easy entertainment and pleasure. If there’s ever a worry, there’s soma to fix it. Technology used to make people happy, that’s good right? But what’s missing is forming deep connections to each other, art, curiosity, intelligence, and heroism.
I couldn’t help but think of the technology/conveniences I accept as trade offs for my humanity; I don’t use ChatGPT but obv all AI and algorithms replace our curiosity and ability to critique. I use earbuds when I walk out the door because god forbid my brain is bored for a moment. My face six inches from a screen more than I’d like to admit.
I saw a clip of Fran Lebowitz saying when AIDs killed artists and lovers of art, the culture died with them. An intelligent audience is critical for art to thrive. This is us now, forced to watch marvel movies and cop shows for all eternity because we don’t have the knowledge for deeper and more complex art. Bring back othello!!!
I read this in high school and remember using Mond's monologue again and again for my English essays but yeah, reading it 15 years later it was hard to get through despite its prescience.
You're spot on about technology, the soma of our time. I've always been hopeful that we could overcome the algorithm and attention economy but AI complicates all of this so much. That a machine can read a book for us and write an essay for us is even scarier than a simple algorithm. That high schoolers see ChatGPT as a lifesaver and cheat code is devastating. What's more terrifying is just how more powerful this technology will become. We're approaching a world where critical thinking is devalued and synthetic media will proliferate and truth itself will be the casualty--it already is.
Bring back Othello!! We're at least doing our part by reading, by focusing, and by trying to pursue truth.