In an age of images and entertainment, in an age of instant emotional gratification, we neither seek nor want honesty or reality. Reality is complicated. Reality is boring. We are incapable or unwilling to handle its confusion.
In today's society, dominated by visual media and instant entertainment, people tend to shy away from honesty and complexity. The appeal of simple, gratifying experiences outweighs the interest in engaging with reality, which is often intricate and monotonous. This aversion to real-life challenges leads to a preference for distorted narratives and sensationalized stories that offer immediate satisfaction but lack depth.
Ryan Holiday, in his book "Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator," highlights the danger of this mindset. He suggests that as individuals, we prefer superficial experiences that require minimal effort to process. This avoidance of the nuanced aspects of reality can hinder our ability to confront the confusion inherent in life, ultimately shaping how we consume media and understand the world around us.
