Whispering here...even literary agents who tell you that you are doing it all wrong. Look them up on Publishers Marketplace. The loudest ones have few sales under their belts. The ones who are quiet are busy selling books.
Something interesting I’ve noticed is that when people criticize social media for making us anxious they’re always like, “the beauty standards are out of control! Stop comparing other people’s fake fantastic lives to yours!” But what makes me anxious is exactly what you’re talking about. These kind of subtle grandiose claims. Black and white thinking. And while I know deep down they’re bullshit, once I hear them or read them, my brain kinda always hangs onto them wondering if maybe I AM doing something wrong. I feel overloaded with info and leave social media feeling like I’m supposed to KNOW and DO all kinds of things differently.
YES! I'm the same - I'm skeptical of those claims but they still stick to my brain because they're designed to do so. It really does make me log off feeling as though I need to live my life in a whole different way, even if that way doesn't actually align with my values or priorities.
At the risk of falling into the same trap this post is warning against: I Think Everyone Should Read Adrianna's Newest Article On Creativity Under Capitalism!!!!
I have been thinking about this as well. Every piece acts like it’s the definitive piece on the topic when actually what most helps us learn and grow is ongoing conversation. I don’t want to hear one expert, I want to hear 5 experts having a discussion, offering different perspectives, critiquing each other, pointing out blind spots.
I want a different solution than first-person confessional pieces because I don’t want people to have to exploit a part of their personal life or story to make a point and be heard while others get to enjoy their privacy because their position in the social hierarchy grants them automatic authority on any topic they want to speak on.
I’m imagining a blogging platform that is a hybrid between Substack and Twitter (before it became the bad place) where an author writes a piece and people respond not with comments but with their own pieces, and they all have equal weight in the conversation. No one is the expert, everyone contributes.
I certainly agree that first-person confessionals aren't the only solution! I think there's value in hearing about people's direct personal experiences but that's not always appropriate, nor should everyone feel pressured to expose their whole lives for the internet. I like the blogging concept you have in mind - it kind of sounds like a way more thorough/thoughtful version of a traditional forum!
I agree with this so much. In so many areas of life, arrogance rewards more than appropriate confidence and humility. That's so true on the Internet. The people who do less research but post more consistently are generally going to do better than the opposite. The job applicant who exaggerates (to a point) will be more likely to get a job than someone who is humble and accurate about what they can do.
So true. I think there's value in "fake it til you make it," but that's more appropriate for personal confidence than it is in pretending you actually know everything...
You hit a hot button here. The pseudo expert. The person who wants to teach you how to podcast and has 600 podcast followers. The one who wants to teach you to be a social media influencer and has 100 followers.
I've learned two things the hard way. 1. always check credentials.
And 2. when they spout "studies" look them up before you buy into the scam on skincare, leaky gut, age spots ...and on and on.
My latest hot button is Chair Tai Chi and those who THINK Chat is a creative genius.
It is a strange phenomenon! I wonder if those sorts of 'expertise' and 'you don't know xyz' titles work because lots of people are *so happy* to subjugate their own knowledge to tech/higher power/whatever it may be. Even if people know something, they ask ChatGPT. If that's what lots of audiences are like, no wonder people like to presume expertise and enforce it so severely - because many will throw their own knowledge out the window and follow them and that is intoxicating to some.
This is a really good point that I hadn't truly considered. And it's sad. I'd rather feel confident in the small amount of info I KNOW I know vs shakingly pretend to know everything.
Whispering here...even literary agents who tell you that you are doing it all wrong. Look them up on Publishers Marketplace. The loudest ones have few sales under their belts. The ones who are quiet are busy selling books.
I think you should say it louder, actually ;)
Something interesting I’ve noticed is that when people criticize social media for making us anxious they’re always like, “the beauty standards are out of control! Stop comparing other people’s fake fantastic lives to yours!” But what makes me anxious is exactly what you’re talking about. These kind of subtle grandiose claims. Black and white thinking. And while I know deep down they’re bullshit, once I hear them or read them, my brain kinda always hangs onto them wondering if maybe I AM doing something wrong. I feel overloaded with info and leave social media feeling like I’m supposed to KNOW and DO all kinds of things differently.
YES! I'm the same - I'm skeptical of those claims but they still stick to my brain because they're designed to do so. It really does make me log off feeling as though I need to live my life in a whole different way, even if that way doesn't actually align with my values or priorities.
At the risk of falling into the same trap this post is warning against: I Think Everyone Should Read Adrianna's Newest Article On Creativity Under Capitalism!!!!
I have been thinking about this as well. Every piece acts like it’s the definitive piece on the topic when actually what most helps us learn and grow is ongoing conversation. I don’t want to hear one expert, I want to hear 5 experts having a discussion, offering different perspectives, critiquing each other, pointing out blind spots.
I want a different solution than first-person confessional pieces because I don’t want people to have to exploit a part of their personal life or story to make a point and be heard while others get to enjoy their privacy because their position in the social hierarchy grants them automatic authority on any topic they want to speak on.
I’m imagining a blogging platform that is a hybrid between Substack and Twitter (before it became the bad place) where an author writes a piece and people respond not with comments but with their own pieces, and they all have equal weight in the conversation. No one is the expert, everyone contributes.
I certainly agree that first-person confessionals aren't the only solution! I think there's value in hearing about people's direct personal experiences but that's not always appropriate, nor should everyone feel pressured to expose their whole lives for the internet. I like the blogging concept you have in mind - it kind of sounds like a way more thorough/thoughtful version of a traditional forum!
I agree with this so much. In so many areas of life, arrogance rewards more than appropriate confidence and humility. That's so true on the Internet. The people who do less research but post more consistently are generally going to do better than the opposite. The job applicant who exaggerates (to a point) will be more likely to get a job than someone who is humble and accurate about what they can do.
So true. I think there's value in "fake it til you make it," but that's more appropriate for personal confidence than it is in pretending you actually know everything...
Literally obsessed w u
You hit a hot button here. The pseudo expert. The person who wants to teach you how to podcast and has 600 podcast followers. The one who wants to teach you to be a social media influencer and has 100 followers.
I've learned two things the hard way. 1. always check credentials.
And 2. when they spout "studies" look them up before you buy into the scam on skincare, leaky gut, age spots ...and on and on.
My latest hot button is Chair Tai Chi and those who THINK Chat is a creative genius.
I must stop now; I feel my blood pressure rising.
YES! So many people selling courses when they themselves have no unique information to add, lol.
It is a strange phenomenon! I wonder if those sorts of 'expertise' and 'you don't know xyz' titles work because lots of people are *so happy* to subjugate their own knowledge to tech/higher power/whatever it may be. Even if people know something, they ask ChatGPT. If that's what lots of audiences are like, no wonder people like to presume expertise and enforce it so severely - because many will throw their own knowledge out the window and follow them and that is intoxicating to some.
This is a really good point that I hadn't truly considered. And it's sad. I'd rather feel confident in the small amount of info I KNOW I know vs shakingly pretend to know everything.