I am not the most interesting person in the room.
I am not the least interesting either. Just somewhere in between. However, I think that it is worth considering what is interesting and what is not, because we spend more time putting our thoughts out there, looking for some kind of response from relative strangers. Most of the internet is people putting "themselves" out there, looking for some kind of attention, without actually thinking too much about what the audience wants.
There is no active listening involved in the process, it is largely one-directional, with the "response" being a like, a share, or an inane comment that doesn't really add much value, as it doesn't go deep. This is because the people who are consuming, are scrolling through dozens of pieces of content a minute, meaning nothing gets considered deeply enough to really generate a solid response on.
This is part of the reason that I like Hive, because there are a group of people who are willing to engage in the discussions at more depth, and there is some consistency over time. They aren't just dropping by on an individual post that happened to catch their attention, they are part of a rolling conversation that spans across time, topic and changes in the relationship itself. Perhaps from the outside looking in at one article, it isn't overly interesting, but over time, it can be, as different opinions change, as experience in various areas build.
While I write each day for many different reasons, what I do hope is there is something interesting in there for anyone who is either a regular reader, or who chances upon it. For the regular reader and commenter, then they become part of the discussion, and I hope that the person who chances upon it, will read the discussion and become a part of it too. I think there is a lot of value in building organic social networks that aren't topic specific, but are community specific - not a topic community, but a community of varied people who come together and add value to the group.
Hive is a bit like a city in this perspective, where there is a very wide range of people, skills and experiences, that while all living in different topic suburbs, are still within the boundary of the city. Each person can be part of multiple croups, visit multiple sites, and may never cross pass with others, yet can still add value, and have added value for themselves, from strangers who don't know they exist.
The centralized platforms are quite different to this, as they are far more specific, targeting user groups through their design and marketing, through their productization. They are not melting pots of humans, they are ecosystems built by algorithms to maximize interaction and network for advertising functions, regardless of what they are enabling is healthy for users, or not.
And, while these types of "meta" discussions might not be interesting to many people who focus on individuals and events, I think they are valuable because we are interacting with these various platforms and are influenced by them, even if we aren't using them, because many others are.
Sitting with a group at lunch today, I was listening to how much of the conversation centered around entertainment type activities. If I change that group slightly, the conversation will shift into more big picture discussions and possible solutions. I far prefer the second kind, because I don't spend much time consuming entertainment, at least not in the same way as the group I was sitting with. For me, it is entertaining to be part of discussions that I feel matter in some way, as it gives some purpose. However, there also has to be something actionable, where I am able to reach some kind of point that will change my experience.
It is selfish.
Because I want to improve my life. But, it is also community oriented, because I want to be part of helping others improve theirs too. If I am sitting in front of a screen playing a game alone, I am not really interacting with people at a local level, those in the communities I live in. Having conversations at work however, means interacting with a relatively wide range of people, but who are also acting at a local level.
This often feeds into my content, because my writing is through the lens of my own experience, and often enough, people are able to relate to it, even though we are spread across the world on Hive. This is because for the most part, we are more similar than we are different, despite our cultural variations. And I think that the people who are engaging in conversations here, are also more likely the ones who are talking with others in their own local worlds, improving their community in some way too.
How I see this, is while it might not be world-changing, it is far more relevant to individuals than the algorithm based discussions that are designed to drive engagement and shares for that advertising dollar, because it is more human to human, based on human experience. The centralized conversations that are designed for drama, leverage emotional polarization for attention, not human experiences. Because of the emotional rise people get, they are "interested" in it, even though it doesn't give them any tools to use to improve their experience, or their community.
And, I think that this is part of the problem in culture at the moment, where even though we have plenty to complain about, we don't actually spend that much time investigating and building solid strategies to do anything to improve the situation. It is all about active complaint, passive solution.
I am not the most interesting person, and there is likely far better content out there. This is okay. To improve ourselves and our communities, we don't need to be the best in the world, we just have to be willing to be part of the discussions and act toward improvement at the local level. A stronger community - It might not be as interesting as one filled with social drama, but it would be an interesting experience to not have to live with constant division and violence this world has to currently offer.
Boring isn't bad.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Newsflash: you are not boring!
I find that many people who stayed active on Steem/Hive for years are interesting and in many different genres.
This post is immediately following one from @papa-peper on "My following" page. You are very different from him, but he is also an interesting person, even if I don't agree with all his declarations. I went to visit him with one of my grandsons in July 2017.
We probably met in Krakow during SteemFest 3, in 2018, but I don't remember if we did.
Oh that is great! Real life meetups are awesome.
You know, I don't think we did meet at SF3. That was a great event though and a lot of fun. I am still in contact with many of the people I met there :)
But I have met others in person from time to time when I was travelling for work in various European countries. I don't know about your experiences, but in general, the people I have met have been great - real people, doing real things in life. And at SF3 at least, there was none of the "digital drama", just people hanging out and talking.
I met several people in Denmark, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
@katharsisdrill, in Copenhagen, received me in his home, in 2018.
I think your content is interesting. Like you said it’s your perspective and hive has a lot of perspectives that are willing to join the conversation. I was just talking to my wife why it feels like everything in the world is falling apart. My thought was the lack of community. In America we have created society so focused individual. It’s a dog eat dog world and that mentality is starting to deteriorate everything around us. I think hive has been a safe haven or maybe it’s my feed has been safe haven. The people I talk with daily on this platform are just looking for a conversation not a way to beat you or scam you. That’s been refreshing when the whole world feels like a battle ground.
Indeed it is refreshing to have conversations and opportunities to share and chat with people on a deeper level. It's not always possible and can sometimes be tiring but doing that numerous times a week is way beyond what most people are doing these days I think and that's a shame!
Separation of people into tribes and individual groups is indeed like splitting the country into the weakest links. It's easier to cut a thread on a pair of tattered jeans than it is to cut into the meat of it and the powers that shouldn't be are well aware of that.
I get that tribes comment. Of everyone is isolated and fighting with each it’s easier for the powers that control country to do what they want. If we could get over ourselves and actually care about others. That sense of community could fix a lot. However it just seems to be getting worse and people are just getting bitter and depressed.
And then there is also the bring those around down, so you don't have to climb as high. It is a sad state of affairs.
For sure! Most of the "social" internet is about point scoring, not discussion. It is very much like a safe haven here and those who come in with all the baggage of centralized media looking for drama, don't last long.
Don’t even get me started on internet drama… I had to delete X because it was getting so bad. Not to mention the YouTube and twitch streamer drama. It’s all too much. I’m reading more and gaming to fill the time now.
I have a friend that does the same - but then keeps picking it up again after a few months. Just imagine if all the people who spend their time creating and reading drama, did something useful...
It's been tough but I have had it off my phone for a month and it's been good for my mental health.
Although I don’t get to do it as often, I love checking out a comment section on some posts and getting something going in there and some good banter back and forth. That’s an interesting thing and I think is an important element of human interaction for sure!
What’s interesting is thankfully most of the people I work with, we don’t talk about the lame shallow TV stuff or entertainment buzz. There is some of that and maybe because I don’t engage with that type of stuff I don’t get included in it but we talk often about more substantive things like hobbies, home improvements and things of that nature that have impacts on our life and not just a bunch of mindless crap. I loathe the day where I will eventually work with people that just talk about the latest entertainment BS lol.
I also prefer to be the person in the middle in a lot of ways, not least but not most interesting. Allows you to blend into more situations.
So much of our lives are curated, we don't necessarily get to have good conversations with strangers. Go to a party these days, nearly everyone is known and similar - no one wants to talk about anything that actually matters, they would rather avoid it because it "kills the mood". Nothing kills the mood more than a collapsing society.
Certainly, HIVE has been that social network that came to fill the void that reigned in other social networks, which in addition to monetising, you find a variety of points of view on subjects of rigour.
I wouldn't mean labelling “the culture”, the problem is the great cultural variety that coexists on our great spaceship called Earth.
For me, the big issue is that we do not find common ground, because we are all “divergent”, everyone wants to impose their point of view without giving room to respect and find in the other's version a complement to our way of thinking, and together we can reach a favourable agreement -we are human-.
The problem prevading culture...
I am not in complete agreement, as there is also a drive to try and normalize all points of view, no matter how invalid they are. When there is a push to normalize paedophilia, something is very wrong.
There are so many things going on in the world that something really "smells very bad". What bothers me the most in these cases is that there are groups of people who support them, thus reaching the point of libertarianism camouflaged as rights.
There were probably always people supporting everything, just now they are able to connect, swell their numbers, and say it is normal.
You're the best in the room. Where else can I find a millionaire whale who chats with me every day :)
Me a millionaire? Not yet!!
But, even if I was (there are a few around here), I would keep posting and talking! :D
I work with probabilities every day. It's hard to find a more consistent person than you. Believe me, a few more years and you will be a millionaire.
You will not repeat my mistakes, which I remembered in today's post.
I've been trying to do a better job of being an active listener. I am pretty horrible at it. I struggle with small talk so much, that I feel I need to think ahead about what to say next. That leads me to missing most of the conversation. It also leaves me feeling like anything I talk about is just all about me. It's a slow process, but I think I am getting better.
Do you find it the same with everyone, or are there some people who give you the space to consider what is said before you answer?
Funny you should ask that because I do feel like everyone could work a little harder at active listening. There are some occasions where I don't say a single word. Just smile and nod because they never stop talking.
I am beginning to like your content more and more and that's because of the truth and facts I see in there and the fact that I can also relate with it. I've come across a lot of content, I see, I enjoy it but I can't relate to it which limits me from putting down my own piece of words or ideas I have about it.
Truly! We don't really need to be the best in the world, the country or city. As long as we are striving and making the little impact we can make within us or in the community to better ourselves, then I think that alone will bring about a big change in the world. A little here and a little there will cumulatively in the long run bring about a big change.
Zeegirl 🌻.
I think all of us want to feel important, but we have created a world where we search for importance in the attention of strangers. Why not be valued by those closest to us instead?
One thing I do like about Hive is that I can share my story and not think of what others would say, instead I get encouragement and others point of view about why I write and that alone give me joy.
So I typically understand what you mean here
Hive is generally a supportive community, if approaching it openly.
Of course and I see it everytime I make a post, there is never a dull time writing here
You mentioned something that there’s no active listening on the net which is very true. People don’t really care about others. They are just interested in knowing how you are doing physically when they check your posts. The truth is, no one really cares.
Also, people chase clout a lot online and that is why you see some people doing different crazy things that can make people divert the attention to them
No one cares for the most part online, because they don't have skin in the game of others. All they want, is something from others - not to put value in.
I mostly find something interesting, even something from my life in your posts.
We are free here to post whatever we want. We are not concerned about targeting anyone or meeting monetization thresholds. Our posts will make an influence on someone or some community slow by slow.
I hope so. I think it shows that despite a whole range of differences, there are a lot of similarities between people too.
Here on Hive, the approach isn't to game the algorithm, it is to attract the human.
If you take a look at the differences among social media platforms, you'll notice distinct behaviors on each of them. On X, everyone seems to be engaged in arguments. On Instagram, everything appears to be about sunshine and happiness without much depth or meaning. Here on Hive, I sense a drive to achieve something. I believe the unique incentives and restrictions on each platform contribute to these behaviors. Without the monetary incentive on Hive, it wouldn't be the way it is.
Yes, they are built for a "purpose" but it is actually a silo of sorts. It is productized usecase and it is all designed to generate profits for the platform, through generating profits through the corporate advertisements and data sales.
I agree. There is more depth here, because people are paying people. There is no algorithm to success, other than building relationships.
Wow such a nice story
Such interest, please tell me more
The effort is astounding.
Yeah will do that
I love this story!!!
I’ve got to learn from it
What lessons will you take away I wonder...
I agree, and this is why I like Hive. The social aspect of it is very unique compared to other crypto, and there are a lot of communities where you can find those with similar interests. I find myself spending more time here, than in the traditional social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.