The society of the spectacle
By Guy Debord
(Philosophy writing and Marxist critical theory by Guy Debord in which he develops and presents the concept of the spectacle)
The idea of the society of the spectacle can be understood as that of a false reality. The spectacle is what we see, it is the presentation of a false reality, a false reality in the sense that when we see it we are seeing a false representation.
Since all we can see is the spectacle all we know is the spectacle and therefor we are separated from truth. Since people believe the spectacle is the way the world is they learn how to rationally interact with the world and people in it, in a way that is rational and according to the logic of the spectacle. but its not just a misinterpretation of the world, the spectacle has led to people building a world based on the logic of the false reality and therefor the spectacle can be found in concrete objects where we look.
The spectacle was the goal of capitalism and the result of it. It is a false reality where we constantly want more, the spectacle can be seen everywhere and its presence justifies the capitalist and spectacular system, its become our reality, when we look around and see things what we are looking at is the spectacle, the fundamental thing of almost all its not objects is the spectacle.
The spectacle is all we see when we look at the world, we are never shown an alternative and if its revealed to us they are scolded, spectacle is everywhere, capitalism needed this in order to grow, because without it capitalism requires us to strive for a false reality, spectacle is a necessary part of products, its a fundamental part of our world.
Since we're born into this idea, be become victims of the spectacle, because its attractive, and it reduces something like having success to simply appearing to have something. Who we are is determined by the idea of the spectacle and who we are is a product of this idea, a product of false reality.
This idea effects our behavior, spectacle not being limited to light or sound, you can use any sense to prevent us from understanding the truth about reality, spectacle created an 'unreality' like religion, it creates a false reality but unlike religion it it has materialized, as long as what we want is determined by a false reality by the spectacle, it will remain necessary, as its a loop that we can not seem to break.
Relating this to my idea
To take the idea of the spectacle and use it in the context of design, then focus of what we see, looking at the idea of the spectacle and look at whats not always seen in the day to day but also adding to the question of "is there beauty in the everyday?"
Apollo Robins - The art of misdirection
Predicting human behaviour. Misdirection is seen as looking off in the distance but its often the things right in front of us that are the hardest things to see, the things that we look at everyday that you're blinded to
He asks the audience to close their eyes and think of what he's wearing, showing us the idea that even though we've just looked at something we don't really notice the details.
Attention is what steers our perceptions, controls our reality, the gateway to the mind
If our attention could be controlled by a distraction of some sort, instead of using misdirection, not focusing on your external senses, we can focus more on our internal senses, so if we're asked to access a memory our minds access information, not being able to rewinding the 'tape' as the same time as processing new data.
Attention is a powerful thing, it shapes our reality. If we could control attention how would we use it?
Is consumerism killing our creativity? - Jocelyn K. Glei
When we think of what our biggest distractions are and what keep us from pursuing creativity its mostly our desire to acquire things.
Annie Leonard in "in the story of stuff" states that our primary identity has become that of being consumers.
Not mothers of teachers or farmers but of consumers. We love what we buy. Yet more that the stuff itself we love the act of finding it - the search, the anticipation.
Our consumerist impulse stimulates the same part of the brain that fires on the trail of a great idea. As we go through the trial and error of pulling off an idea and asking ourselves the different questions "could this work?" "What about this idea?" we're using those same wanting instincts.
"The juice that fuels the seeking system is the neurotransmitter dopamine The juice that fuels the seeking system is the neurotransmitter dopamine. The dopamine circuits ‘promote states of eagerness and directed purpose,’ Panksepp writes. It’s a state humans love to be in. So good does it feel that we seek out activities, or substances, that keep this system aroused."
The world beyond your head - How to flourish in an age of distraction - Mathew Crawford
Attention and design
Our embodied mode of existence has given rise to exquisitely sensitive capacities for detecting and negotiating the world and a good design principle would be to try and exploit these capacities for detecting and negotiating the world, rather than to sever the connections between perception and action.
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