The Life You Want — 005
The internet is a divine blessing and a demonic curse
Hey you,
Welcome to the 5th edition of The Life You Want.
Every edition will challenge what you’ve heard.
Enough yapping, lets jump in.
The Treasure Vault
The internet contains the sum of human knowledge.
All the knowledge humanity ever had is in your pocket.
Every person has equal access to this treasure vault.
Yet some emerge wiser while others emerge more ignorant than before.
The difference isn't access.
It's intention.
Hunters
Smart people approach the internet like hunters.
They have specific prey in mind.
They want to understand quantum physics, master a programming language, or learn about ancient Roman politics.
They use search engines as precision tools. They leverage AI to help them learn. They bookmark valuable resources.
Search engines are their hunting tools to prey.
AI is their hunter wisdom guiding them.
Bookmarks are their maps.
Scavengers
Dumb people approach the internet like scavengers.
Preying on dead animals.
Lacking nutrition, and the combat experience.
They consume whatever crosses their path.
They open their phones with no purpose and let the platforms guide their attention.
They mistake scrolling for learning and confuse entertainment for education.
How the internet works
The internet rewards the prepared mind.
When you know what you're looking for, you can find insights that took humanity centuries to develop.
Scientific papers, expert lectures, detailed tutorials, historical documents.
All free, all accessible, all waiting.
But when you approach the internet passively, it feeds you what generates the most engagement, not what provides the most value.
Drama, gossip, outrage, superficial takes on complex topics.
The platforms profit from your attention, not your education.
How creators leverage this
Content creators have learned this lesson well.
The smart ones build audiences by consistently providing value.
They research deeply, explain clearly, and help their viewers genuinely understand complex topics.
They attract smart people who value substance.
The lazy creators discovered an easier path.
Appeal to stupidity.
Create content that requires no prior knowledge, no attention span, no critical thinking.
Mock intelligence. Celebrate ignorance. Profit from people's worst impulses.
The vicious cycle of the internet
This creates a vicious cycle.
Stupid content attracts stupid audiences.
Which signals to platforms that stupid content works.
Which encourages more creators to make stupid content.
The middle mass of users gets caught in this undertow.
They have good intentions but weak habits.
They say they want to learn but choose entertainment.
They bookmark educational videos they never watch while consuming hours of mindless content.
The internet is a mirror
The internet is a divine blessing and a demonic curse.
But you choose what it is to you.
The internet is a mirror.
It reflects your intellectual discipline back at you, magnified.
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Until next time :)