Wow! This is a deeply researched paradigmatic masterpiece. Going to have to re-read it as it deeply resonates.
Are you familiar with Harvard researcher Robert Kegan's work on adult development? Your self of selves model reminds me of his self-transforming mind stage of adult development that only 1% of the human population reaches. So, I wonder if what you're talking about isn't just a new stage of individualism, but also a new stage of human development that more and more society is moving into.
Hi Michael. Thank you so much for your kind words and perspective. I haven't come across Robert Kegan but will look into it. And that image is an incredible visual. Wow.
This puts to words an uncanny feeling I’ve had posting to instagram or Twitter. Something like “does this fit my Twittersona?”
It has always been true that you’re a different person to everyone who knows you, but I can’t help but wonder what happens when these personas are less of a coincidence and more of a visible and mindful thing. My guess is that it feels harder to be truly seen for who you are. The fact that gen z feels more themselves online makes me wonder if this set of feelings is a particularly millennial concern. I’m 1993 so just at the end of millennials. Maybe that’s why it feels so awkward to me!
I have been reading this for several days now, and will probably come back to go over things again.
One thing that I kept thinking about is the Integrated Information Theory of Consciousness. There's this idea in there that consciousness is integrated, it unifies our experience, making it irreducible. I think this element of consciousness hides the many layers of consciousness within us. There is a sense that we are one person, even though we switch through many personas.
I have had this sense of myself for quite sometime now. Being a people pleaser, I have had all these different ME-I-am-to-YOUs in me for my whole life. The internet MEs are definitely different than the work MEs. I switch when I talk to different people. I freeze when I talk to too many people because the dissonance is high. I also pick up personalities from others, I like to wear what they are wearing, I like to use the words they use, it helps me feel like them. I still have that unified ME feel, but I also have these other identities that situationally inform that ME and change it.
I am less interested in self-actualization than I am integration with the world and communities around me. What you are saying reflects my experieince.
Great post! I've never thought too much about my own online persona but this makes me want to evaluate those selves and hopefully learn a bit more about my 'self'.
So, I find your observations to be true but I think the path forward of potentially becoming more fractured is unsustainable. As such, I began going back and looking for different historical context. The rather long post below is the result…
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Title: Spectacles and Satire: Historical Echoes in Digital Identity
Throughout history, societies have often indulged in spectacles that reflect their cultural and moral states. In ancient Rome, the grandiose gladiatorial games served to pacify and distract the populace from political and economic troubles. Similarly, during the Renaissance, European courts not only hosted feasts and masquerades but thrived on satire and ridicule as tools of power, subtly critiquing and reinforcing societal structures.
Today, in the era Yancy calls post-individualism, I believe we navigate a digital coliseum where identities are fragmented across various platforms, creating a spectacle of selves that is both liberating and bewildering. Yancey suggests that this could evolve into new forms of community and collective identity, where digital personas gain unprecedented influence, but I don’t see it.
Psychologically, I believe such an existence will prove unsustainable. The human psyche, as Freud outlined with his concepts of the id, ego, and superego, struggles for balance and coherence. The id, seeks immediate gratification and thrives in the unchecked expanses of the internet, the id loves TikTok. The ego (watches the spectacle of the evening news, and enjoyed seeing its foes ridiculed) tries to maintain some sort of balance with our superego. Our superego, the moral compass, works overtime to ensure our actions align with societal norms and personal ethics. This part of our psyche urges us to fact-check before sharing information and to consider the broader implications of our online behavior. As the digital age propels the id and ego into new realms of immediate gratification and public spectacle, the superego struggles to keep pace, potentially leading to a psychological imbalance. This internal conflict, exacerbated by digital fragmentation, suggests that we may not withstand the psychological strain for much longer.
As history has shown, when the spectacle overshadows substance, a societal backlash is inevitable. This impending backlash against digital superficiality may drive a resurgence in the pursuit of authentic, meaningful engagements. For example, the collapse of Rome wasn't just due to external invasions; it was also undermined by internal decay, including a populace distracted by games and spectacles, which eroded civic engagement and responsibility. Similarly, the excessive indulgence in ridicule and satire in European courts often led to political instability, as superficial court life failed to address deeper societal issues. These historical episodes underscore how societies can reach critical points where a return to substantive values becomes necessary. This reflection might prompt us today to seek a deeper connection with reality, perhaps by turning to the tangible and thoughtful experience of reading a physical book.
This piece is thought-provoking, thank you for writing it. I’ve not got avatars & have tended to write always as myself, at least in adulthood, like a snail without a shell.
That dropping-of-anonymity may not be a generational thing & be more down to life as a monozygotic triplet. From one point of origin, genetically identical, with various strangers confused or lumping us together… so the inner voice becomes the thing! A small ticket to self-expression.
Wow! This is a deeply researched paradigmatic masterpiece. Going to have to re-read it as it deeply resonates.
Are you familiar with Harvard researcher Robert Kegan's work on adult development? Your self of selves model reminds me of his self-transforming mind stage of adult development that only 1% of the human population reaches. So, I wonder if what you're talking about isn't just a new stage of individualism, but also a new stage of human development that more and more society is moving into.
https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1200/1*yb16Xya0EHDtr6DPNG_zxA.jpeg
Hi Michael. Thank you so much for your kind words and perspective. I haven't come across Robert Kegan but will look into it. And that image is an incredible visual. Wow.
Super interesting, thank you!
This puts to words an uncanny feeling I’ve had posting to instagram or Twitter. Something like “does this fit my Twittersona?”
It has always been true that you’re a different person to everyone who knows you, but I can’t help but wonder what happens when these personas are less of a coincidence and more of a visible and mindful thing. My guess is that it feels harder to be truly seen for who you are. The fact that gen z feels more themselves online makes me wonder if this set of feelings is a particularly millennial concern. I’m 1993 so just at the end of millennials. Maybe that’s why it feels so awkward to me!
I have two separate Internet identities and I like it. Great piece.
Yes! So thoughtful, thank you for your words and reflections — really enjoyed this :)
I have been reading this for several days now, and will probably come back to go over things again.
One thing that I kept thinking about is the Integrated Information Theory of Consciousness. There's this idea in there that consciousness is integrated, it unifies our experience, making it irreducible. I think this element of consciousness hides the many layers of consciousness within us. There is a sense that we are one person, even though we switch through many personas.
I have had this sense of myself for quite sometime now. Being a people pleaser, I have had all these different ME-I-am-to-YOUs in me for my whole life. The internet MEs are definitely different than the work MEs. I switch when I talk to different people. I freeze when I talk to too many people because the dissonance is high. I also pick up personalities from others, I like to wear what they are wearing, I like to use the words they use, it helps me feel like them. I still have that unified ME feel, but I also have these other identities that situationally inform that ME and change it.
I am less interested in self-actualization than I am integration with the world and communities around me. What you are saying reflects my experieince.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Axioms_and_postulates_of_integrated_information_theory.jpg
Great post! I've never thought too much about my own online persona but this makes me want to evaluate those selves and hopefully learn a bit more about my 'self'.
So, I find your observations to be true but I think the path forward of potentially becoming more fractured is unsustainable. As such, I began going back and looking for different historical context. The rather long post below is the result…
---
Title: Spectacles and Satire: Historical Echoes in Digital Identity
Throughout history, societies have often indulged in spectacles that reflect their cultural and moral states. In ancient Rome, the grandiose gladiatorial games served to pacify and distract the populace from political and economic troubles. Similarly, during the Renaissance, European courts not only hosted feasts and masquerades but thrived on satire and ridicule as tools of power, subtly critiquing and reinforcing societal structures.
Today, in the era Yancy calls post-individualism, I believe we navigate a digital coliseum where identities are fragmented across various platforms, creating a spectacle of selves that is both liberating and bewildering. Yancey suggests that this could evolve into new forms of community and collective identity, where digital personas gain unprecedented influence, but I don’t see it.
Psychologically, I believe such an existence will prove unsustainable. The human psyche, as Freud outlined with his concepts of the id, ego, and superego, struggles for balance and coherence. The id, seeks immediate gratification and thrives in the unchecked expanses of the internet, the id loves TikTok. The ego (watches the spectacle of the evening news, and enjoyed seeing its foes ridiculed) tries to maintain some sort of balance with our superego. Our superego, the moral compass, works overtime to ensure our actions align with societal norms and personal ethics. This part of our psyche urges us to fact-check before sharing information and to consider the broader implications of our online behavior. As the digital age propels the id and ego into new realms of immediate gratification and public spectacle, the superego struggles to keep pace, potentially leading to a psychological imbalance. This internal conflict, exacerbated by digital fragmentation, suggests that we may not withstand the psychological strain for much longer.
As history has shown, when the spectacle overshadows substance, a societal backlash is inevitable. This impending backlash against digital superficiality may drive a resurgence in the pursuit of authentic, meaningful engagements. For example, the collapse of Rome wasn't just due to external invasions; it was also undermined by internal decay, including a populace distracted by games and spectacles, which eroded civic engagement and responsibility. Similarly, the excessive indulgence in ridicule and satire in European courts often led to political instability, as superficial court life failed to address deeper societal issues. These historical episodes underscore how societies can reach critical points where a return to substantive values becomes necessary. This reflection might prompt us today to seek a deeper connection with reality, perhaps by turning to the tangible and thoughtful experience of reading a physical book.
This piece is thought-provoking, thank you for writing it. I’ve not got avatars & have tended to write always as myself, at least in adulthood, like a snail without a shell.
That dropping-of-anonymity may not be a generational thing & be more down to life as a monozygotic triplet. From one point of origin, genetically identical, with various strangers confused or lumping us together… so the inner voice becomes the thing! A small ticket to self-expression.
That’s a lovely quote from Adam Curtis, btw.
The below piece by Sophie McBain chimes with your themes. Gen Z being deemed the loneliest generation, despite or *because of* this last decade’s flourish of social media, is worrying. https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/society/2024/05/the-lonely-land?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1714558652-2
Best
Alex