it’s narratives all the way down, folks.

everyone wants to be an altruist, but you know what you need to do altruistic things? money.

focus on being a good capitalist first, then be an altruist. focus on yourself, kings and queens, then try to help others.

I say all this because, every so often, you can see a vibe shift in people’s behaviors.

“narrative” became a popular marketing and comms term over the past few years. “your brand needs a story”, people would say. “your brand needs a narrative that people can identify with”, experts would exclaim. they’re not wrong, but the linchpin of a good narrative is Authenticity. without that, your story eventually falls apart, the curtain is pulled back, and people see your narrative for what it really is: a vehicle intended to drive action from a consuming audience. this isn’t inherently bad, but it is definitely something, and it should be noted and articulated.

authenticity is hard. that’s why it’s so appreciated when you actually see it. if it was common, it wouldn’t have such a pizzaz to it. it would be just another thing. but, you know, it’s not just another thing, because it’s not that common.

I think its difficulty might lie precisely in its simplicity. being authentic just requires that you don’t really lie or bend things to ease friction. but that’s the thing, people don’t like friction because it feels like the qualia version of sandpaper on your emotions. so we avoid it by skewing information to soften blows and in doing so, we sacrifice authenticity.

that’s also ironic though, isn’t it. in a world full of noise, you need an edge so you can cut through it all. but that edge means friction, and that friction means discomfort, so you ease the discomfort by reducing the friction but in doing so you reduce your authenticity, and you dull your edge.

if you can’t cut through the noise, it’s because you’re not being authentic. you’re swinging a sword that doesn’t belong to you.