Over heels and under

in #thoughts6 years ago (edited)

This place has changed a lot in the two years I have been on the platform but also, not much at all. Sometimes I wonder how far it will actually go and how ingrained and intertwined Steem can become in the digital crossover lives we all lead. For those that remember the mainstreaming of the internet, did you actually predict what you would be doing in the future via it?

When was the last time you booked a trip through a travel agent and how often do you purchase tickets of any kind through a human face, not an interface? How often do you go to a bank, the cinema, talk to someone to order takeaway? What percentage of your interactions and transactions are human versus digitally facilitated? What happened to all of those customer service jobs when companies decided no contact was better? Was it company - or customer demand that made that decision?

In our day to day lives, there has been a massive decrease in our chances of random meetings and therefore, a decrease in our pool of selection. There is a silo effect on the walking world and we are conditioned to believe that we actually have more opportunity of connection through digital acquaintances yet, the algorithms silo us further.

While the statistics are showing progress, are we actually enjoying a higher quality of life? I remember from a kid that one of the quality of life indicators was the number of TVs in the home. Is that something. One considers an indicator of quality these days, how many screens the is access to, or is there a law of diminishing returns somewhere in there? Is quality of life how much time can be spent gaming or consuming Netflix, what percentage of disposal income is spent on junk food, how many gadgets one can afford to free up hands while carrying for children? What is quality of life and how can it be measured through access to disposable consumables?

I see this as a part of the lie we have been sold the one we happily purchased in a thousand ways, the TV shop definition of quality. Quality of life can be purchased, it is easy, just send your money and in 7 minutes you will have a better quality of experience because you could afford to buy it. Can't afford it? Keep working, keep chasing, be jealous of those who can, desire it for yourself, slave away for your chance to have it.

I think this is how many people use and experience Steem as rather than utilise it as a part of life experience itself, it is nothing more than a means to an end, a way to fast track into desire fulfillment without the need to work as hard for it. I am hoping they are right, hoping it is a fast track but, I am definitely no slave on Steem, there is a difference.

There is can chance to not only satisfy financial requirements but take ownership of interactions and recalibrate what is demanded to affect what is supplied. People like to blame the evil banks and corporations yet, it is us who purchase what they sell, us who keep perpetuating the lie that consumables are the evidence of quality of life, even if one must go into debt to possess them and keep slaving away to keep them.

I say possess because holding is not owning unless what is held one has control over. The only thing we really can control is how we experience the circumstances of our life, but even that is being wrested from us as we are incessantly told we are powerless victims, not active agents of our own lives.

Victims do not own, they are owned. Unable to help themselves, unable to control the direction of their lives, dependant on the services and products of others that ease their burden and carry them for a price. A price that will continually increase into an unserviceable debt until the owner desires to dispose of its consumable items, us.

What happens when we choose to control our own interactions and transactions, choose what has tradeable value and where we will place it, choose to review and evaluate our purchases up until this point, realise we chose poorly and, choose again? What happens when we choose to take responsibility and be part of the design, not the designed?

How far can we go on the choices we make?

Quality of life does have a price, it just can't be purchased. People want easy and you get what you pay for - the life of a slave is simple, do what you are told.

Or make another choice, but everything carries a cost.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
(posted from phone)

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Very insightful article. The term "quality of life" is albeit elusive because it's fundamentally subjective. Material wealth and abundance can, without a doubt, contribute to a higher quality of life, and the absence of that material goodness can indeed lower the quality of life. Nevertheless, material wealth and technological advancement do not equate to the quality of life. As one musician said, "Better is the enemy of good."

There is a diminishing return on what material height adds to quality of experience. I remember hearing something in the US that it is around a salary of 70 - 100k a year. Enough to enjoy, not enough to have to worry about the money itself. It was a while ago though so don't quote it :D

Makes perfect sense to me :)

Debt free with sound health is what I have been striving for.The problem is you may end up killing your self trying to be debt free. Just have to look what you are doing right now,hopefully short term or at least have choices. You are sacrificing so much to get the balance and normality of quality of life.

The problem is you may end up killing your self trying to be debt free.

Don't I know it :D

You are sacrificing so much to get the balance and normality of quality of life.

I have fucked up enough in my life, my position now is self-inflicted but bad habits can be changed. I hope.

The one good thing is it is never too late. We have all screwed up along the line and we all know it. Still time to make all the wrongs right.

Some Deep thoughtfulness there.
We consciously or unconsciously vote for the world we want in every action, interaction and purchase we make.

We consciously or unconsciously vote for the world we want in every action, interaction and purchase we make.

Everything is a choice and changes the future in some way. There is no point complaining about where we are without recognising how we got here and our personal role in it, especially if we are not going to adjust and try for something other.

The rate at which people mention quality life are diferent. Some believe it is in houses or cars or properties generally or riches or expensive stuff.

It depends on the person and their past experiences as to what they value and of course, what they treasure.

The challenge is “knowing the difference!” Many have ideas on the new benchmarks while others have no idea or just don’t care. We are also all different animals and our interactions and needs differ from one another so the reality is that we may never know how and if we can achieve that quality of life as we wouldn’t realize it as the bar will always move.

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