The spectacle, which is driven by economic interest and profit, replaces lived reality with the “contemplation of the spectacle.” Being is replaced by having, and having is replaced by appearing. We no longer live. We aspire. We work to get richer. Paradoxically, we find ourselves working in order to have a “vacation.” We can’t seem to actually live without working. Capitalism has thus completely occupied social life. Our lives are now organized and dominated by the needs of the ruling economy:
The proliferation of images and desires alienates us, not only from ourselves, but from each other. Debord references the phrase “lonely crowds,” a term coined by the American sociologist David Riesman, to describe our atomization. The Society of the Spectacle’s first chapter is entitled “Separation Perfected,” a quality that Debord describes as the “alpha and omega of the spectacle.” Referring to the Marxist concept of false-consciousness, Debord describes how the spectacle conceals the “relations among men and classes.” The spectacle functions as a pacifier for the masses, a tool that reinforces the status quo and quells dissent. “The Spectacle presents itself as something enormously positive, indisputable and inaccessible. It says nothing more than ‘that which appears is good, that which is good appears,’” writes Debord. “It demands […] passive acceptance which in fact it already obtained by its manner of appearing without reply, by its monopoly of appearance.”
Fuck em. Let the idiots work, noones forcing you to too. People with actual brains can just get a chill part timer and actually live while everyone else works in hell. They deserve this hell, they perpetuate it, why try to save them from it?
John Martinez
What's the alternative though? Perpetual hedonism with no advancement? Capitalism has its flaws but look at how we are advancing as a species. Eventually Earth will not be inhabitable and so we must progress technologically if we are to survive inevitable doom.
I like to think of all of humanity as a team, and the larger goal is to keep alive the existence of our species. Capitalism creates a lot of suffering, but if you look at the bigger picture it necessitates the motion to get us as a species where we need to be in the future.
Carson Bell
That being said I don't blame people for not participating in the system, it completely relies on taking advantage of other people.
I personally plan on being a neet parasite for the rest of my life. But I can also appreciate the results that the system creates.
Wyatt Campbell
>just look after yourself, fuck everyone else bro, you can't save them, don't try
Are you that anti-civilization anarchist? Well, kudos to you anyway to spread Debord's works. Just add a bit of Lasch's Culture of Narcissism and we're on to a good start.
Julian Adams
>Durr happiness is meaningless instant gratification. It's people like you with such a shallow understanding of happiness which prevents me from ever trying to convince people and would rather just get on with it myself. An immature understanding of happiness is why half of society is depressed, with it only worsening, it's why Nietzsche went crazy, and it's why Jordan Peterson is depressing as shit and will ultimately fail in his search for "higher meaning". Jordan Peterson's "higher meaning" is simply instant gratification dressed up to look like long enduring happiness. Absolute infantile understanding of, and disparaging of the value of happiness is the depressed philosophers greatest weakness.
Chase Ramirez
Shut the fuck up, Timmy. I see meaningless criticism I don't see answers. get depression like every other teenagers you small brained virtue signaller
Lincoln Martinez
Ok, let's revolt. I have a knife, a cigar lighter and some vodka. The gov't has a supersonic airplane, atomic bombs, ...
Robert Jones
Meanwhile in reality people have always had to work for everything, Capitalism just makes it more comfortable and you'd neck yourself if you had to live in what Communism produces.
Caleb Wood
Care to explain your understanding of happiness?
>Jordan Peterson's "higher meaning" is simply instant gratification dressed up to look like long enduring happiness.
Are you sure? I thought his message was that life is suffering and you have to put in work to have fulfilling results
Ryder Wright
even if they do notice, they will go straight back to their screens and pretend it never happened youtu.be/yeiy2eST8YY
Noah Bell
I'll live on Earth even if it is nothing but molten rock. This is my fucking homeworld, and I'm loyal to it.
Jack Lopez
We've reached such a high productivity, that we can wonder why we have to work more than 40 hours a day, if it weren't for buying futile shit.
You just can't experience happiness if you don't have your fair share of hardships. Schoppenhauer, that you could lump in the depressed philosophers, nailed this well. A society were many things are given to you without effort is bound to have some depression.
Dylan Price
Good post, have a bump.
Carson Taylor
You seem like a very happy person indeed. I'm sure you have it figured out.
Easton Jones
And here we go, gave you the opportunity to actually think and you squander it on instant gratification of trying to get one over on me. Demonstrates your infantile understanding of happiness, demonstrates why it's a waste of time trying to teach people like you.
Owen Brown
Gave you the opportunity to discover what happiness means yourself, and the satisfaction and contentment that would come with that self realisation. Instead you want to be spoonfed and therefore achieve neither satisfaction nor contentment. This is why people like you are cronically broken, there's no helping people who can't help themselves.
Brayden Lee
leave him alone bro, he thinks he's above everyone else.
Noah Butler
I'm above you, and happy to be so :) nice try on projecting your insecurities on to me. They're your insecurities, why don't you keep them eh.
Jeremiah Turner
You proved him entirely correct with a petty, and spiteful response. Degenerate leftist scum.
