The value of Facebook has its origin in two fairly well-known quotes:
"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." H.L. Mencken.
"If you want to get rich, you start a religion." L. Ron Hubbard.
Who would have ever thought that in 2012 it would be possible to get a billion people to devote large amounts of time to writing private details of oneself or to reading private details of others? Who would have thought that a billion people would openly allow themselves to become a product?
Just today I was explaining to one of my daughters the effective function of "like" in Facebook. Yes it is to give assurance to someone who needs assurance. It is also a way to get data for the purpose of soliciting advertising.
Facebook may not have set out to become a business, and certainly not one where the raw material has no cost, yet it has certainly become one. Not only is it a business it is now one where the stock is publicly traded. The only thing that could be better would be if it was a religion. And it has done that.
Facebook has become not just a business but a religion. It is a religion that is the antithesis of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and possibly all others. Salvation comes from the sacrament of daily communion with self and with telling the world about oneself. All written in digital format in the eternal cloud, heaven if you will. No more meditating and seeking a Higher Power other than self. Not only does one not have to die to self, on Facebook there is honor in living to self.
Cowboy Safety is not a business or a religion. Yet Facebook is also the antithesis of Cowboy Safety. Cowboy Safety is a way to protect oneself. Ultimately Facebook is a way to destroy oneself.
Facebook is the newest form of the religion of Narcissism. And with an altar that is a far better one than a mirror. PsychCentral says that "at the core of extreme narcissism is egotistical preoccupation with self, personal preferences, aspirations, needs, success, and how he/she is perceived by others." Facebook exactly. Egotism is egoism with a "t," talking about self.
Facebook, the religion, is only a threat to the religion of materialism. The other religions have embraced narcissism and many of their churches are on Facebook. As a threat to materialism, Facebook is a timely aid to a society that may have had too much growth.
Who needs to make money and accumulate money when there is no longer a need to "keep up with the Joneses?" Facebook is a much better alternative.
Facebook is a democratic religion. No longer does one have to be wealthy in money and make big donations, endow chairs at colleges, or to fund buildings named for oneself. The only wealth needed to build monuments to self in Facebook is time and that asset is more plentiful among those who lack money. In turn that time is converted to money for the stockholders of Facebook the company.
I am not running down Facebook. Facebook does not create narcissists. Facebook provides the place for worship of self. It has done a great job of that and will do it even better in the future. Maybe it is good that we know how many narcissists there are.
David Sneed
"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." H.L. Mencken.
"If you want to get rich, you start a religion." L. Ron Hubbard.
Who would have ever thought that in 2012 it would be possible to get a billion people to devote large amounts of time to writing private details of oneself or to reading private details of others? Who would have thought that a billion people would openly allow themselves to become a product?
Just today I was explaining to one of my daughters the effective function of "like" in Facebook. Yes it is to give assurance to someone who needs assurance. It is also a way to get data for the purpose of soliciting advertising.
Facebook may not have set out to become a business, and certainly not one where the raw material has no cost, yet it has certainly become one. Not only is it a business it is now one where the stock is publicly traded. The only thing that could be better would be if it was a religion. And it has done that.
Facebook has become not just a business but a religion. It is a religion that is the antithesis of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and possibly all others. Salvation comes from the sacrament of daily communion with self and with telling the world about oneself. All written in digital format in the eternal cloud, heaven if you will. No more meditating and seeking a Higher Power other than self. Not only does one not have to die to self, on Facebook there is honor in living to self.
Cowboy Safety is not a business or a religion. Yet Facebook is also the antithesis of Cowboy Safety. Cowboy Safety is a way to protect oneself. Ultimately Facebook is a way to destroy oneself.
Facebook is the newest form of the religion of Narcissism. And with an altar that is a far better one than a mirror. PsychCentral says that "at the core of extreme narcissism is egotistical preoccupation with self, personal preferences, aspirations, needs, success, and how he/she is perceived by others." Facebook exactly. Egotism is egoism with a "t," talking about self.
Facebook, the religion, is only a threat to the religion of materialism. The other religions have embraced narcissism and many of their churches are on Facebook. As a threat to materialism, Facebook is a timely aid to a society that may have had too much growth.
Who needs to make money and accumulate money when there is no longer a need to "keep up with the Joneses?" Facebook is a much better alternative.
I am not running down Facebook. Facebook does not create narcissists. Facebook provides the place for worship of self. It has done a great job of that and will do it even better in the future. Maybe it is good that we know how many narcissists there are.
David Sneed
No comments:
Post a Comment