The Mediocrity Machine

Human expression and digital mimicry

The darkness of human nature colours our perceptions, and because of this we run the risk of becoming pessimistic about our future. However, a defeatist attitude never served anyone in any capacity — all it ever did was hold them back. You can’t simultaneously desire progress and engage in mental stagnation, it just doesn’t work. And while there also exists a lighter side to who we are as a people, that aspect often falls to the wayside, and we become engulfed in the negative sides of ourselves.

Consciously integrating ones shadow into their personality is a precarious task, and one that should be undertaken with the utmost caution. Immerse yourself too much in the dark and you become selfish, uncaring and cold. Go the other way, only acknowledging ones positive traits and risk becoming pollyanna. But the question remains — how do we find a middle ground? And perhaps one doesn’t want to choose the middle path, for it lacks the whirlwind of emotions associated with passion, and ultimately leads to inaction.

I often gravitate toward the darker parts of the human psyche, with what can only be described as fascination. But get too deep into the shadow self and one risks facing the abyss up close. What good is the void, to us as human beings? The absence of anything tangible, the precipice of hell itself, is a constant threat to those who choose manipulation over compassion; or is there no such thing? With a vivid imagination and the power to will whole inner worlds into being, intent is the barrier between those who create and those who mimic.

Critics will always emerge once an individual takes decisive action in one direction or the other. One must learn to pay little mind to the naysayers, however, as their criticism is usually based on lack. Lack of them following their own path, incessantly looking to others to opine on, and generally not producing anything of their own without piggybacking off a true creator. I’m almost stunned beyond words how these parasites exist, sucking the life force out of anything they touch. They can only be described as vermin, and that’s as kind a term I can find for them in my heart.

And of course, criticism is necessary, but when it becomes mean-spirited and based on the insecurities of those who are producing it, that’s where it all falls flat for me. But that’s the thing, criticism is based on a reference point. It’s curating what already exists. There is very little originality in sitting back and dissecting something to the point of neutering it. Maybe this analogy goes too far, but there are few things that grate me more than someone basing their existence on consumption instead of meaningful production of some sort.

With the rise of modern conveniences, we seem to spend less time reflecting inwardly, honing our craft, and more time engaging in passive consumption. I believe this chips away at the level we’re able to articulate our thoughts, turning us into mindless processors; and this isn’t the way we were made to be. Actively pursuing a goal bigger than ourselves is a trait all human beings used to possess. Now it just seems like whatever comes easiest is the road most travelled. Sitting with a problem, and trying to figure it out yourself without assistance from technology seems absurd now.

I see this in just about every person I cross paths with these days, and it’s a behaviour that is deeply disturbing. When it becomes difficult to determine if a human is behind some thought process, we’re in deep trouble. Now more than ever before, tasks are being outsourced to machines, and the human being’s native skills are being put on the back burner. It’s not about doing things the long way round — all it amounts to is laziness, and a desire to shirk. I’m absolutely appalled at the overall level of acceptance most people are displaying at them being replaced by non-human entities.

Soon it’ll be impossible to tell whether a human sat with a problem for a time, figuring it out, or whether it was simply automated. And if that doesn’t terrify you, I believe you’re part of a bigger problem. Take for instance the writing of books and articles. You can type a couple prompts in to any of these digital interfaces and it can spit out content in under a minute. But what separates us from that is the nuance and complex understanding of human nature we as human beings have. This isn’t a rant or series of well crafted gripes woven into a story. This is merely an honest assessment.

Just to be clear, I’m not against a technology assisted workflow — I’m just concerned as to what degree it’s being utilised. And whether or not it’s being abused. And I refuse to get rid of my em dashes, just because they’re associated with non-human content creation. The way I feel about work being couched as content also contains a lot of nuance. Content sounds like pig swill, work is something that’s been toiled over. As humans, us expressing ourselves through the written word has it’s place as a catharsis. It also helps us think better. And nobody can take that away from us.

It may seem to be a waste of time to still sit down at a table with a notepad, or type away at your keyboard, because there are shortcuts available, but to me, nothing could be further from the truth. Here’s the thing — nobody can steal your experiences as a living, breathing being — no machine can feel the wind on its face, or it flowing through their hair. They don’t understand those things, and therefore that’s what makes their writing flat. Our five senses are a gateway to experiencing the world as conscious creatures, and I don’t see that being recreated any time soon.

I think everybody has been affected in some way, by this tendency to turn to machines for advice. Artists who were once hired to create beautiful works of art are now overlooked, because they can be mimicked and replaced altogether. I do believe we’ll see resistance from certain types of people, however. People who refuse to acquiesce to this trend. When the bubble pops — and it will eventually — individuals that got rid of you in service to something easier will come crawling back, looking for something only a human being can do.

Now more than ever before people are starting to feel like they have to prove themselves worthy of attention, simply because they’re being ignored. And I explicitly refer to creatives and other professionals. There is a sense that all this dependence on technology is getting out of hand, and it’s almost like we’re fighting a losing battle against it. I wish I knew why speed is being prioritised over quality. People will try dissuade you from doing your own thinking nowadays. I mean, why think when you can just generate ideas without any effort? I’m certain you can detect my sarcasm.

This isn’t the complaints department. It’s a cold, hard look in the face of reality. Deriving a sense of accomplishment can only come after a period of hard slog. If it comes too easy, what’s there to celebrate? I guess I’m arguing for the sovereignty of the human condition. There are so many worlds inside us waiting to come out via our artistic voice. If we bypass that entirely, we’ll never find our own voice. And then things become mediocre. And I highly doubt anybody wants to be anything other than remarkable at what they do.

Perhaps I’m setting the bar too high. Maybe I’m all wet, in which case, surrendering our entire thought process to something artificial is okay. But where will you go when you’re seeking out a good book to read? Literature, written by real people, in the past. Our latter days are lacking this. We need a complete overhaul on the use of material that cannot be copyrighted because it’s not actually ours. But it doesn’t seem to bother a majority of people. This cheapening of language and the inability to articulate complex thoughts ourselves will be to our detriment.

Where this is all going is not a positive place. For recreational purposes, I guess a chatbot is fine to goof off with. But and still, doesn’t it rob us of something? What about meaningful conversations with the real people in our lives, and bouncing ideas off of them? Surely that beats literally stealing work that isn’t yours, and claiming it as your own? We’re having conversations with machines. And I can’t wait for this trend to blow up in whoever’s face is abusing it. Because it will peter out. And if you don’t believe me, just wait a little while. All will be revealed in time.