The Dork Age has given rise to the mass man. Commonly personified by the NPC meme, the mass man is fully bought in to the system and lives a life of content mediocrity. Who is the mass man and why should we transcend him?
As societies grow ever more complex, so must power adapt to the problem of mass and scale. Technology, mass media and entertainment all converge to create a sprawling net to captivate the mass man and keep him sedated in his virtual cage. This is the primary characteristic what we we call the Dork Age; a society managed by and comprised of dorks, of mass men.
The mass man has no viewpoints of his own. He delegates his opinion-making to authorities and is fed junk food talking points by the mass media slop machine. The mass man then regurgitates them on social media and at dinner parties while others of his ilk nod in agreement. These talking points come as simple, easily-digestible slogans which the mass man can easily comprehend and recite. The mass man repeats them until the Next Big Thing comes along and a new set of programming parameters are required by the regime.
On social media—the supposed online “marketplace of ideas”—the mass media slop machine works on overdrive through a network of paid shills and so-called “influencers” to shape public perception. The online discourse on these platforms will appear to allow for dissenting voices; in actuality, the range of allowable opinions is controlled. The conversation is contained within acceptable bounds, thus the mass man’s thoughts are corralled lest they wander into forbidden territory.
Opportunists harvest reactions and public outcry for profit. Grifters peddle outrage porn to capitalise on the mass man’s outrage to whatever the The Current Thing is. They amass impressions and generate clicks and comments to cash in on that sweet ad revenue. Everything is fake and gay, but the mass man can do nothing about it. The incentives for content creators, influencers, and journalists alike are such that the he is resigned to being constantly waterboarded in a never-ending torrent of slop.
See beyond the superficial and swim against the mainstream. Tune out the slop merchants, the talking heads who serve the interests of power to perpetuate the paradigm of the Dork Age. Wield the sword of reason to cut down the daily lies slung at you by the mainstream. Behind the slogans and buzzwords, see reality for what it is, not how it is sold to you.
The mass man’s lifestyle is one of atomisation, disconnected and isolated from his community and estranged from his culture and history. He is compelled to live in a cramped apartment block full of strangers and to commute to a soul-devouring job where he generates value for shareholders. A bankrupt mass culture assaults him at every turn, defacing his history and eroding his cultural heritage in the name of the modern Dork Age. The mass man is alienated in his own society but because he lacks his own will, he can’t even rebel against it in any meaningful way.
Block out the mindless distraction of pre-packaged fast food culture. Replace it with good music, quality conversations and debates with friends, and the wisdom of old books. Be true to yourself and authentic to who you are. Be confident in the fact that what you instinctively know to be true probably is, despite what the mainstream tells you. But be willing to learn and develop the intellectual honesty to challenge your own narratives and change your mind when the truth contradicts your viewpoints. Exercise intellectual due diligence, interrogate the accepted mainstream narratives and you will find them wanting almost every single time.
Go beyond the conformist mediocrity of the mass man. Strive for excellence in everything you do, whatever your calling may be. Your quest will lead you down winding paths fraught with obstacles but overcoming them will bring you true fulfilment. You won’t find this in mainstream slop.
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