Zuck, GaryVee, and Isaac

Do find a half hour to listen to the podcast -- https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pPt99WYBFuYlNiItqnHEO?si=v2R-yAh6RBS280n2Thb3tQ&nd=1 .

Here are two very successful and brilliant opposites (one highly structured and the other utterly chaotic) completely "being honest about who they are and what they want to do". People love and hate these two individuals. I try not to do either, and consciously limit myself to recognizing their - and people like them - impact and value.

What's the backdrop here: 1. People+Society inhabiting the world (addressed by the Zuckerbergs) and 2. Systems according to which such world operates (addressed by the AWSs) -- and then 3. the world on which both exist (advocated by the Thunbergs, but whose voice is drowned by 1. and defeated and/or enabled by 2.)

Listen carefully to the spontaneously- and convincingly-uttered words they use: "advancing human connection - augment personal presence and social interaction - the smartphone is a limiting vehicle - people must feel they are doing things together - Virtual is great but Augmented is the answer." So ... let me understand: advancing human connection and people must feel they are doing things together by ... making the virtual aspect of all of it stronger? And more: "it's about expressions - a more realistic feeling of connection - scaling truths"; that's what Virtual/Augmented will do? Or will it facilitate highly manipulat-able Expressions and Truths, providing the perfect cover - and a safe hidden place in fact - for one's true self?

Zuck and GaryVee are united united by a common view: the world as a moving train with a singular direction, and their singular perspective is to ... go with the flow, bettering and in fact accelerating it. As opposed to what you may ask? Well, how about influencing its direction? Because in accelerating the current flow the issues we have today (granted, some of them are good) will simply be exacerbated. But there was not one single precious word about the dangers of that in thirty-two minutes of animated conversation.

Isaac Asimov (who together with @Mark Ritson is one of my greatest idols), wrote his Foundation Trilogy based on one of his best-known quotes: "The saddest aspect of life is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." Mark & Gary should sit together and read it - maybe to each other.

Having said all that, I don't criticize them: it's not their job to influence the direction of the world as a whole. That's the job of illuminated governing bodies - and those are and in fact have always been in very short supply.

And finally, so much to be said about how all of this relates to the work we do in Brand Consulting -- fodder for another posting.

Love to hear how you see it all.

Q

--