This is something i think about a lot, though I’ve had a hard time putting it to words exactly.

We live in a largely fake world. Objects and pictures representing things have increasingly replaced the genuine articles. We are expected to be continually wow’d by images on our screens as though they’re as good or engaging as reality. So many stores like Homegoods carry all kinds of items that serve strictly aesthetic value. So much of advertising is convincing the target that the item will improve their lives in extraordinary ways when the reality so often proves itself lesser-than-expected. We even have amounts of money in circulation that can’t feasibly exist. The US national debt is an absolutely staggering number – it’s an irrational amount of money/value. Does that much value actually exist in the world? There are so many things that exist in theoretical space but make impact in reality–it feels fake. Don’t even get me started on AI/deepfakes etc.

I still don’t know if I’ve gotten my thinking straight on this yet, it’s just this nagging thought in the back of my mind i can’t seem to shake.