Upstream #155
convenient & lonely, values & virtues, skynet, chromophobia, ames windom.
Right, that’s almost it. The race is run. The goose is stuffed, ready for roasting. It’s been a great year. Full of hope. And freedom. Hope you’re well. Right, let’s go.
"There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets credit for it".
Harry S Truman
culture // convenient & lonely
It’s the best of times. It’s the worst of times. A world of fingertip solutions and pot noodle convenience. Where easy is better, but easiest is best. But are we living with the tyranny of convenience? With its promise of smooth, effortless efficiency, does it threaten "to erase the sort of struggles and challenges that help give meaning to life". As this piece says “created to free us, it can become a constraint on what we are willing to do, and thus in a subtle way it can enslave us”. The idea that “convenience is all destination and no journey” makes me think that maybe it’s inconvenient to spend time with friends. Which might be creating this loneliness epidemic, where one of the fastest growing demographics in the US is 50+ and living alone.
brands // values & virtues
Having a set of values for brands (and businesses) is popular. What you value, which guides how you behave. Often though, they’re like pissing in a wetsuit. They feel good momentarily, but eventually stink. Because there’s a difference between values, virtues and virtuosity. Values are espoused, while virtues are in-use. We need to be virtuous, not just have values. Which means that “you can’t have the virtue of kindness, without actually doing kind acts” and that “just because we believe in kindness, we're not necessarily being kind”. Same for all brand values. That said, a good set of values, properly considered, can be useful, like these. Values the right way are still usefull.
technology // skynet
The tech industry is having a mare. Maybe it’s a midlife crisis or maybe it’s an intermission between technological epochs. It’s not an era of change, it’s a change of era as the Pope said. Speaking of which, is the age of social media ending? Sounds like lazy end-ism, the death of everything and all that. But I get it. What started with friends and family sharing stuff, has become algorithmic, immersive, AI and video driven attention colonisation. It’s being driven by 3 big trends; a shift towards more immersive mediums (VR), an increase in AI, and a move from user directed, to computer controlled. Computers are replacing your friends, family and influencers. It’s just more efficient attention. Change is slow, then all at once. Just look at Shutterstock & Getty getting replaced by AI. Get ready. Skynet’s taking control.
creativity // chromophobia
Our world is so visually noisy, that colour is disappearing We’re all looking to turn down the noise, so minimalism, monochrome and neutral palettes have taken over. Grey rules and we've become chromophobic. Particularly in the West. Colour is too emotional. Too much pleasure. We want a world of Elephant’s Breath and Downpipe, Natural, muted, “organic” tones. McDonalds for example moving from Red & Yellow restaurant facades, to brown wood and slate cladding. Feels more natural. Maybe we’re in a less optimistic time (vs the 50s) but you have to believe, that beige-ification will have it’s day. Plus, when everyone Zigs, might be time to colourfully Zag.
five random (ish) things:
What an amazing story 😲.
Incredible wisdom 🧠.
Insight is everywhere 🤔.
4 day weeks work, fact.
A magic list of 52 things learned in 22.
watching: the ames windom
In 1951, Adelbert Ames created the mind-boggling ‘Ames Window’. It’s so effective that even when you know how it works, you can’t break the illusion. Mind blowing 🤯