To get this out of the way.
I think it is pretty ridiculous how the media and people have responded to her going to (and returning from) space aboard the Blue Origin publicity stunt, with an all-female crew. When Perry came back from space, she kissed the ground - which is silly - but also symbolic of an appreciation for earth itself. And remember, this was all a publicity stunt, she is a celebrity, and this is what is expected of her. But all of that aside, what I have found amazing, is the ridicule faced by these space travellers as it was only an 11-minute publicity joyride to space.
All the people ridiculing Perry and the other people involved, should really think about that for a moment and consider that millions of people in the world believe that the earth is flat. In a survey of Americans from 2018.
As said, I don't care for Perry or any of the publicity, but it is more that we live in a world that is comfortable in ridiculing some pretty amazing achievements, as if they are nothing at all - while our own accomplishments are.... what exactly? Social media and the media in general gives the capabilities to see the best of humanity, the highest accomplishments, and then we are able to compare everyone else to the best in the world.
And then ridicule everyone else.
And because the majority of people will never be close to the best in the world at anything, and because they are able to comment on anything, despite not having any experience with the topic at all, they feel comfortable making snide remarks and attacking people who have done more than them - to make their own lives feel better.
Everyone has an opinion about the colour.
In business, it is common for meetings with many stakeholders from different backgrounds to get caught up in conversations about what is irrelevant - for example, the colour of a machine. This is because everyone can have an opinion about the colour, but not everyone can comment on the technical details of that same machine. So, people want to "add value" by discussing something they know - even though it is largely irrelevant and the impact is negligible.
The internet is a like a huge meeting of stakeholders who have very little experience about anything, other than whatever their twenty second google search provided. Yet, everyone has an opinion about everything, because they want to feel part of the discussion. So they focus on some aspect that is irrelevant in the grand scheme, but makes them feel superior to whoever they are bashing online, and makes them feel part of the "winning" group.
Winning what exactly?
The only winners are the platforms and media outlets who are driving this kind of behaviour to sell advertising spaces to increase their ad revenue streams. They are the winners, because they are getting something for the discussion. What is the average person talking about Katy Perry kissing the ground or what she is wearing getting? And it isn't just this event, it is all the other events that the same person is spending their time, energy and attention on - rather than doing something more useful.
Ah the irony you say?
After all, for me to write this article, I must have been putting my own time, energy and attention into this media conversation too. Yes, that is true. It is also true that two people can have a plate of food in front of them, and while one eats it happily, taking the experience of the taste, texture and the value of the nutrients from it - the other throws it against the wall.
What we consume matters. How we consume matters more.
Ideally, we would surround ourselves with the most nutritious content at all times, because we are influenced by our environment. However, everything can have value if it is consumed in a way that helps us grow our thoughts and behaviours to be better. However, we are not conditioned to consume in this way and instead, we are taught to consume passively, thoughtlessly, and use our emotions to judge the value of something - even if we know nothing about what we are judging.
We are not discerning.
We often choose poor content, but we choose even poorer ways of consuming it. It is like people who choose the gym they go to based on the equipment that they have, even though they aren't going to go to the gym. Ultimately, a gym with some basic bars, free-weights and maybe a bike is all that would be required - if the equipment is used well.
Everyone is looking to optimise their lives, save time, get more - but what most of us (including me) don't spend enough energy on, is optimising the way we behave. Instead, we are often trying to optimise the irrelevant, the useless, the things that don't matter - instead of optimising for the things that do matter.
What do you want?
What are the top five things that you believe would make your life better? What percentage of your effort and energy is spent on actions that will meet those goals in the future?
Is the time you spent on the internet productive time, or consumptive time?
Reflecting on this personally:
I am "online" a huge amount, but I consume very little, but produce a fair amount. My consumption habits are nearly all in service to my goals. For instance, I don't watch YouTube videos, unless I need to learn how to do something, or maintain something, or I am looking to get or build something and I want to go into the process with better knowledge. There is no TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram - because while they might offer some information, there is far, far too much noise to distract - and far too little search to empower.
My news consumption is two-fold, because I consume some news from Australia so I have some idea what is going on there and I can discuss it with my family, and I consume some from Finland the Rest of the World to have an understanding of what is going on, so I can reflect on it, and my own experiences, and I can verify some of this with friends and family who live in those local regions. And, this "content" is largely poor quality, but I actively spend time reflecting on it, and using it as a source for thought, personal development and of course, to write about.
It isn't the content of the story that I write about, it is my personal reflections on the thoughts it provoked.
Back to space.
Very, very few people have been to space, but I think that if I was the 722nd person to go up there, spend some time in weightlessness, see the curve of the earth out the window, and get a sense of how small I am and everyone else is in the ecosystem we inhabit, I would probably have a renewed appreciation for earth, humanity and likely - be filled with awe and gratitude for the opportunity. I might not kiss the ground, but after that experience, my feet touching earth would be a whole different thing than prior - even if I was only in space for eleven minutes.
Ridiculous.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
