I couldn’t agree more with everything you’ve written here. I’ll add another manifestation of target fixation and that’s the legions of teenagers pathologizing every nuance of normal adolescent development into a self diagnosed disability. The relentless feedback loop of TikTok is ruining their ability to acquire genuine self awareness.
Amazing read as always. I think there is value to speculative fiction - the exploration of what ifs - even dystopian are important to building mental strength. We can’t be ready for doom if we don’t think about it!
However, I think once you add the profit motive of most entertainment that’s where the dystopian stories start to be come more insidious (as well as the pathologizing tiktoks that another commenter mentioned!) - they rely on fear and our reaction to it to get our money.
And there is barely any profit in happy stories. Where are the comedies? They don’t do as well - nor do utopias. Even the happy endings of Marvel films have begun to lose their luster.
I dunno at this point. Capitalism profits in fear and keeping us fearful. I like your optimistic view to thinking about a better or target but I don’t know that the money-folks will allow it. :)
I love speculative fiction, we agree. And I think we can tell terrifying stories set in the future, but maybe the image of the future itself need not be the sum total of our worst fears. Like a murder mystery in an otherwise benign future. The Expanse was more misstopian than dystopian, for example.
So spot on, dear Sean. Worry is a kind of drug. It takes you down a rabbit hole of ugly scenarios making it hard to just be present. Trying to break my worry habit with breathing and meditation. It’s a struggle, but a better struggle and result than I cynically expected it to be before I began. Wish me luck!
I do wish you luck! For me, worry feels like preparation. It feels like the grown up, responsible thing to do. One thing that helps me is to see my worries as birds in a tree, I visualize clapping my hands to make them fly away. Another thing I do is pray for my thoughts to be redirected. But if you’re not a praying type, imagine the worry like a needle on a record, pick it up and set it down on a better song.
I couldn’t agree more with everything you’ve written here. I’ll add another manifestation of target fixation and that’s the legions of teenagers pathologizing every nuance of normal adolescent development into a self diagnosed disability. The relentless feedback loop of TikTok is ruining their ability to acquire genuine self awareness.
Interesting point! I hadn’t considered that.
Amazing read as always. I think there is value to speculative fiction - the exploration of what ifs - even dystopian are important to building mental strength. We can’t be ready for doom if we don’t think about it!
However, I think once you add the profit motive of most entertainment that’s where the dystopian stories start to be come more insidious (as well as the pathologizing tiktoks that another commenter mentioned!) - they rely on fear and our reaction to it to get our money.
And there is barely any profit in happy stories. Where are the comedies? They don’t do as well - nor do utopias. Even the happy endings of Marvel films have begun to lose their luster.
I dunno at this point. Capitalism profits in fear and keeping us fearful. I like your optimistic view to thinking about a better or target but I don’t know that the money-folks will allow it. :)
I love speculative fiction, we agree. And I think we can tell terrifying stories set in the future, but maybe the image of the future itself need not be the sum total of our worst fears. Like a murder mystery in an otherwise benign future. The Expanse was more misstopian than dystopian, for example.
So spot on, dear Sean. Worry is a kind of drug. It takes you down a rabbit hole of ugly scenarios making it hard to just be present. Trying to break my worry habit with breathing and meditation. It’s a struggle, but a better struggle and result than I cynically expected it to be before I began. Wish me luck!
I do wish you luck! For me, worry feels like preparation. It feels like the grown up, responsible thing to do. One thing that helps me is to see my worries as birds in a tree, I visualize clapping my hands to make them fly away. Another thing I do is pray for my thoughts to be redirected. But if you’re not a praying type, imagine the worry like a needle on a record, pick it up and set it down on a better song.
Love it. Misstopian! Is that yours?
I’m stealing it is mine now.