- Jan 2023
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www.theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com
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A recent H&M ad campaign promised that the brand would make sure that “you are the main character of each day.” In September, my partner booked a hotel room for a weekend trip; the confirmation email vowed that the stay would allow him to “craft your next story.” My iPhone is now in the habit of transforming photographs and videos from my camera roll into mini-movies.
"Where do you want to go today", Microsoft's campaign, 1995.
But like... these are real & worthy groundings that aren't some new novelty, some meta-verse-al creation, but just like the ground philosophical basis of the mind. Most of us cannot live up to our own expectations/aspirations, but whether we choose to let that delegitimize the mind, whether we accept that poison chalice & accept disbelief & skepticism broadly is up to each of us.
These corporate entities are extremely tuned in to the plot, to the reality of the mind. They get it. The skepticism is due, but it's not "the metaverse," it's not just fiction, it's deeply part of the human experience, our motivation.
For sure, this all must be tempered with a reality. But I think the duality here is invaluable, and the pure cut-down attitude needs counter-skepticism.
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