Forwarded from Modo Capital
Oswald Spengler argues that civilizations are organic; they rise, peak, and decay. The final stage is marked by technocratic control, spiritual emptiness, and the death of creativity. In his schema, the prophetic, mythic, and artistic aspects of culture decline, and are later reawakened only through collapse.
I kind of agree with this. As throughout history, prophets have not emerged from comfort or order, but from chaos. Mass uncertainty, institutional collapse, and existential dread create the psychic conditions necessary for the rise of prophetic figures.
A perfect example of this is the Munster rebellion of 1534. Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible into German (1522) broke the Catholic Church’s monopoly on religious truth (not many people could read Latin before this, therefore were completely reliant on the Catholic Church and elite classes to explain what god wanted from them). Suddenly, ordinary people could read the bible themselves. This lead to a collapse in belief in the Catholic Church as ordinary people realised that what the Bible was preaching was completely different to what they had been lead to believe. Much like the internet today, the printing press during this period accelerated a mass shift in awareness. Leaflets, pamphlets, and cheap bibles enabled a memetic explosion of sects and visions. There was no longer the Church's “narrative.” Just hundreds, all competing.
The Anabaptists, led by charismatic figures like Jan Matthys and John of Leiden, emerged claiming divine revelation. They took over Münster and declared it the “New Jerusalem,” instituting a radical theocracy with polygamy, communal property, and apocalyptic eschatology.
The established political-religious order panicked. The Prince-Bishop, backed by both Protestant and Catholic elites, laid siege to the city. After brutal starvation and warfare, the rebellion was crushed, and the prophets were executed and displayed in iron cages, But the seed had already grown, and the Catholic Church never had the same monopoly again, with the rise of countless new Christian sects who had no allegiance to the Catholic Church,
(see my previous link of a podcast episode called "Prophets of Doom").
In situations when traditional structures lose their grip, people become hungry not just for survival, but for meaning. They look for order in disorder, a story to explain the suffering, and a leader who can promise something beyond the ruins. People like Jan Matthys were almost purpose built for these scenarios.
Coming back to the current day, i think that over the next decade, trust in institutions will completely vanish. Climate crises and inflation will accelerate. As social media becomes more effective and addictive, instead of enlightening us, it will increasingly disorients us.
Against this backdrop, new prophets will arise, as chaos is the fertile seed for cults.
Millennials and zoomers, born into debt and spiritual vacancy, will become particularly susceptible to these new prophets. Deprived of traditional community or transcendence, many will find purpose in radical ideologies.
A few potential examples;
Satoshi’s Bitcoin will not merely a financial instrument, it will become noscripture (listen to any of Saylor's recent interviews and you will find some seeds for this). The whitepaper will become gospel, the code will become law. Converts will often arrive through crisis like hyperinflation, economic collapse, or loss of faith in fiat institutions, and devotees will await the next “halving” like a sacred holiday.
Similarly, Musk’s vision of Mars colonization operates as a kind of futurist eschatology. His followers don’t just admire him; they believe in him. He may end up representing escape from Earth’s decay—both literally and symbolically.
IMO as globalism continues to unravel, and institutions fail to address the mounting crises of our time, it is unlikely that people will respond by becoming more rational. Quite the opposite: they will become more mythic.
I kind of agree with this. As throughout history, prophets have not emerged from comfort or order, but from chaos. Mass uncertainty, institutional collapse, and existential dread create the psychic conditions necessary for the rise of prophetic figures.
A perfect example of this is the Munster rebellion of 1534. Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible into German (1522) broke the Catholic Church’s monopoly on religious truth (not many people could read Latin before this, therefore were completely reliant on the Catholic Church and elite classes to explain what god wanted from them). Suddenly, ordinary people could read the bible themselves. This lead to a collapse in belief in the Catholic Church as ordinary people realised that what the Bible was preaching was completely different to what they had been lead to believe. Much like the internet today, the printing press during this period accelerated a mass shift in awareness. Leaflets, pamphlets, and cheap bibles enabled a memetic explosion of sects and visions. There was no longer the Church's “narrative.” Just hundreds, all competing.
The Anabaptists, led by charismatic figures like Jan Matthys and John of Leiden, emerged claiming divine revelation. They took over Münster and declared it the “New Jerusalem,” instituting a radical theocracy with polygamy, communal property, and apocalyptic eschatology.
The established political-religious order panicked. The Prince-Bishop, backed by both Protestant and Catholic elites, laid siege to the city. After brutal starvation and warfare, the rebellion was crushed, and the prophets were executed and displayed in iron cages, But the seed had already grown, and the Catholic Church never had the same monopoly again, with the rise of countless new Christian sects who had no allegiance to the Catholic Church,
(see my previous link of a podcast episode called "Prophets of Doom").
In situations when traditional structures lose their grip, people become hungry not just for survival, but for meaning. They look for order in disorder, a story to explain the suffering, and a leader who can promise something beyond the ruins. People like Jan Matthys were almost purpose built for these scenarios.
Coming back to the current day, i think that over the next decade, trust in institutions will completely vanish. Climate crises and inflation will accelerate. As social media becomes more effective and addictive, instead of enlightening us, it will increasingly disorients us.
Against this backdrop, new prophets will arise, as chaos is the fertile seed for cults.
Millennials and zoomers, born into debt and spiritual vacancy, will become particularly susceptible to these new prophets. Deprived of traditional community or transcendence, many will find purpose in radical ideologies.
A few potential examples;
Satoshi’s Bitcoin will not merely a financial instrument, it will become noscripture (listen to any of Saylor's recent interviews and you will find some seeds for this). The whitepaper will become gospel, the code will become law. Converts will often arrive through crisis like hyperinflation, economic collapse, or loss of faith in fiat institutions, and devotees will await the next “halving” like a sacred holiday.
Similarly, Musk’s vision of Mars colonization operates as a kind of futurist eschatology. His followers don’t just admire him; they believe in him. He may end up representing escape from Earth’s decay—both literally and symbolically.
IMO as globalism continues to unravel, and institutions fail to address the mounting crises of our time, it is unlikely that people will respond by becoming more rational. Quite the opposite: they will become more mythic.
was tagged in some instagram stories today, so i decided to check it out
at the same time, it’s been a long while since i’ve used instagram, hence i decided to scroll through some instagram stories of my followings
was reminded of why i left instagram in the first place because as it turns out i still didn’t care
as i grow older ive come to realise that social media is a waste of time, is that normal?
at the same time, it’s been a long while since i’ve used instagram, hence i decided to scroll through some instagram stories of my followings
was reminded of why i left instagram in the first place because as it turns out i still didn’t care
as i grow older ive come to realise that social media is a waste of time, is that normal?
what would i do today if i was taking care of my human?
https://youtube.com/shorts/HOtPnvkt95w?si=CiBU8jpF8QvZ6nQR
https://youtube.com/shorts/HOtPnvkt95w?si=CiBU8jpF8QvZ6nQR
YouTube
IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT!
🧠 Mind and Body Mastery: Dive into the realm of self-awareness and mental clarity.🔥 What We Offer:📈 Strategic Wisdom: At [Lucrative key], we're dedicated ...
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humblespace
convergence of hobbies https://x.com/bonesawmd/status/1938990445792551411?s=4
also remember a piece i once read about how globalisation speeds up homogeneity across cultures
such can be said for hobbies as well
uniqueness is being lost
such can be said for hobbies as well
uniqueness is being lost
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humblespace
dionysian descent https://fxtwitter.com/apralky/status/1934304738205683925
its cool to think about what AGI does to humans in the future
commoditising IQ removes it from being sought after, leaving us to lean toward more human traits like moat, taste, humour, relationships -> attention and emotional aspects
after that is solved, we go straight into spiritual aspects ie. religion
commoditising IQ removes it from being sought after, leaving us to lean toward more human traits like moat, taste, humour, relationships -> attention and emotional aspects
after that is solved, we go straight into spiritual aspects ie. religion
Forwarded from Modo Capital
a continuation of this thread around incumbent status signalling collapse:
we’re now mid-collapse. the old signals still exist (cars, watches, lifestyle porn) but they’re essentially dying. everyone’s seen the playbook. everyone knows you can rent it, fake it, filter it. finance it. it’s all a costume now. (post AI, post chinese counterfeit luxury)
you flex a rolex and people assume you’re a scammer. you post travel pics and they assume you’re a whore. you wear gucci and they assume you’re insecure. every legacy status symbol is saturated or spoofed. the signals are flipping.
so phase one is basically now through the next 2–5 years: total symbolic burnout. everything flashy becomes cringe. influencers still play the game but the comments are different now (more ironic, more suspicious). people are still consuming the content but no one’s aspiring to it. (study Andrew Tate comment section).
then the encrypted era kicks in. status goes ghost. people with actual pull start retreating (private group chats, analog hobbies, private island dinners, off grid homes, bespoke gear, pseudonyms). but here's the important shift: curation and creation starts beating consumption. the new flex is not “look what I bought, it’s look what I found, created, understood, or integrated.
creation makes a big comeback. art, music, writing - but only things AI can’t do because they’re too embodied. non AI slop will be a luxury good.
everyone else will still playing catch-up to the old rules. they will be stuck performing for an algorithm that no longer rewards them. because once AI floods the space with content, taste, aesthetics, identity, the only real flex left is being unreplicable. so that’s what the elites will optimize for.
and then we have phase 3, a locked-in hierarchy. where status is based on scarcity of self. not money. money will just be utilised as backend infrastructure. what matters is time, mystique,elite optimisation, biological sovereignty, lifestyle optimisation. if you’re still chasing the old gods (fame, clout, lifestyle porn) you’re signaling that you’re outside the new status economy entirely.
people are still gonna buy watches or cars and try to go viral. that game doesn’t disappear (it just stops being elite). it becomes mid. like wearing a Supreme hoodie in 2025. people don’t hate you, they just know exactly what you are.
we’re now mid-collapse. the old signals still exist (cars, watches, lifestyle porn) but they’re essentially dying. everyone’s seen the playbook. everyone knows you can rent it, fake it, filter it. finance it. it’s all a costume now. (post AI, post chinese counterfeit luxury)
you flex a rolex and people assume you’re a scammer. you post travel pics and they assume you’re a whore. you wear gucci and they assume you’re insecure. every legacy status symbol is saturated or spoofed. the signals are flipping.
so phase one is basically now through the next 2–5 years: total symbolic burnout. everything flashy becomes cringe. influencers still play the game but the comments are different now (more ironic, more suspicious). people are still consuming the content but no one’s aspiring to it. (study Andrew Tate comment section).
then the encrypted era kicks in. status goes ghost. people with actual pull start retreating (private group chats, analog hobbies, private island dinners, off grid homes, bespoke gear, pseudonyms). but here's the important shift: curation and creation starts beating consumption. the new flex is not “look what I bought, it’s look what I found, created, understood, or integrated.
creation makes a big comeback. art, music, writing - but only things AI can’t do because they’re too embodied. non AI slop will be a luxury good.
everyone else will still playing catch-up to the old rules. they will be stuck performing for an algorithm that no longer rewards them. because once AI floods the space with content, taste, aesthetics, identity, the only real flex left is being unreplicable. so that’s what the elites will optimize for.
and then we have phase 3, a locked-in hierarchy. where status is based on scarcity of self. not money. money will just be utilised as backend infrastructure. what matters is time, mystique,elite optimisation, biological sovereignty, lifestyle optimisation. if you’re still chasing the old gods (fame, clout, lifestyle porn) you’re signaling that you’re outside the new status economy entirely.
people are still gonna buy watches or cars and try to go viral. that game doesn’t disappear (it just stops being elite). it becomes mid. like wearing a Supreme hoodie in 2025. people don’t hate you, they just know exactly what you are.
👏2🔥1
Forwarded from Lyra's Yaps
Besides the traditional "long degeneracy and loneliness" idea that is floating around, I also think we see some of the following:
Younger crowd swings socialist as cost of living really spikes up and the old social contract and its rewards are annulled -> jobs/wages become increasingly -EV when you consider the risk:reward of staying on the current path (study hard for a decade+, go to college, get lots of interviews etc)
I also see breakaway digital communities (some subset of CT) as people try to escape clown world and try to find meaning/ways to live in a world void of status and meaning.
I think people will move away from traditional materialism and the old symbols, especially of luxury good (watches and cars). Why give a shit about these when it becomes increasingly unattainable (sour grapes) and the pathway to become rich fast and obtain these items become meaningless anyway (people associate watches with scammers etc)
I also think we get more normalization of a lower and minimalist standard of living, either by people's own adaptations or media psyopping us to live more frugally. Study the normalization of the collapse screencap I posted before. I do expect a group of people to break away and even promote rural living as some people get dissociated and increasingly discontent with city living.
A lot of spending will not longer be spent on luxury goods but more towards enhancing the Human experience or having "real" trips, in a post AI world. I also think smaller niche brands will flourish because people become very disillusioned with materialism (hate what they can't get, or despise it after seeing it as meaningless).
A lot of sovereign individuals with disposable $$ will pivot towards becoming consumers and curators of these smaller niche brands (or even create them). Taste will be rewarded... the real flex will literally become some sort of quasi-nobility class with a new curated, wealthy level of taste, which makes a lot of sense given that most developed countries will undergo hollowing of middle class with 2 groups (serfs and elites).
study this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUnYbLoyplo
Younger crowd swings socialist as cost of living really spikes up and the old social contract and its rewards are annulled -> jobs/wages become increasingly -EV when you consider the risk:reward of staying on the current path (study hard for a decade+, go to college, get lots of interviews etc)
I also see breakaway digital communities (some subset of CT) as people try to escape clown world and try to find meaning/ways to live in a world void of status and meaning.
I think people will move away from traditional materialism and the old symbols, especially of luxury good (watches and cars). Why give a shit about these when it becomes increasingly unattainable (sour grapes) and the pathway to become rich fast and obtain these items become meaningless anyway (people associate watches with scammers etc)
I also think we get more normalization of a lower and minimalist standard of living, either by people's own adaptations or media psyopping us to live more frugally. Study the normalization of the collapse screencap I posted before. I do expect a group of people to break away and even promote rural living as some people get dissociated and increasingly discontent with city living.
A lot of spending will not longer be spent on luxury goods but more towards enhancing the Human experience or having "real" trips, in a post AI world. I also think smaller niche brands will flourish because people become very disillusioned with materialism (hate what they can't get, or despise it after seeing it as meaningless).
A lot of sovereign individuals with disposable $$ will pivot towards becoming consumers and curators of these smaller niche brands (or even create them). Taste will be rewarded... the real flex will literally become some sort of quasi-nobility class with a new curated, wealthy level of taste, which makes a lot of sense given that most developed countries will undergo hollowing of middle class with 2 groups (serfs and elites).
study this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUnYbLoyplo
YouTube
"The Taste Economy" by Daisy Alioto at FWB FEST24
"The Taste Economy" is an original lecture given by Daisy Alioto at FWB FEST 2024.
The core premise of The Taste Economy is that for the past 10 years, taste couldn’t be monetized. Soon it will be one of the only things that can be. The powers of curation…
The core premise of The Taste Economy is that for the past 10 years, taste couldn’t be monetized. Soon it will be one of the only things that can be. The powers of curation…
social media shortening attention span also extends toward gratification
the rousing success of afterpay or BNPL also attests to the fact that people are starting to care more about instant gratification than delayed
they stop thinking long term and soon will not be able to see it at all
the rousing success of afterpay or BNPL also attests to the fact that people are starting to care more about instant gratification than delayed
they stop thinking long term and soon will not be able to see it at all
not to forget the new mantra of the current generation is to live life to the fullest, prioritising being happy in the present (since life is hard and society is shit)
this brings forward a lot of wanting things in the present (instant gratification) because the problems in the future are problems for the future you
if it does not make me happy now, i’m not prioritising it
think about all the talks of mental health and breakdowns becoming more frequent
and i think bnpl exacerbates this issue too
this brings forward a lot of wanting things in the present (instant gratification) because the problems in the future are problems for the future you
if it does not make me happy now, i’m not prioritising it
think about all the talks of mental health and breakdowns becoming more frequent
and i think bnpl exacerbates this issue too
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