Minimalists are a natural antidote to "the collective".
The collective is taking over the world in 2020. This is not socialism or communism or totalitarianism or dystopian or whatever. However this phenomenon, I refer to here as "the collective", is a complex milkshake made from many social flavours.
The collective is a state of mindfulness that keeps you stuck-in-a-rut. The reason that this mindset seems to be dynamic is that the people who live inside this cult are happy. They are happy primarily because the peer pressure to be happy is extreme. I should note here that I am referring to the 80% of the population not the 20% of disrupters who inject the essential note of discordance that works to bring everyone back together again.
The collective is a mind-space that brings people together via a narrative that is enriched by mantras, memes, self-talk, etc. This mind-space is the result of scripted messaging that leads to one-think. Indeed there is no want for anyone to be different, think different, or behave in unique ways.
The collective is a collaborative community. This collaborative community is a social entity that keeps everyone happy. They keep their focus by helping each other to live inside a structure that is rigid with totalitarian strictures. They accept the strictures because the sense of belonging to a collaborative community that helps each other. I experienced this sense of belonging with my friends in USSR when I was there for a visit decades ago. The economy was crumbling but the social cohesion was getting stronger and stronger. I did not see it then but now I understand that they were living inside a cult that was failing.
The collective is a tribe that forms its constitutional boundaries to protect the members from the independent spirit of individuals. Inside the collective there is a cult mindset that does not allow individuals to express themselves as independent beings. A cult like this one maintains its power over people because it restricts their access to alternative ideas and information. New ideas and alternative information is squashed by a mythology, ideology, or theology. And it is remarkable how virile this vapourware is in maintaining this cult. Indeed it is the vapourware that is spreading this cult throughout the world. There are many different chapters to this cult and yet it is merging into a global presence.
The collective will last how long?
Richard.
Minimalists are not and will never become a victim of the mystical powers of the collective.
Comments