- A piece in The Atlantic about people who embrace chaos and nihilism — and spread conspiracy theories just to alleviate boredom, or burn it all down;
- And an example of this: Washington Post on Libs of Tik Tok;
- And recalling a scientifictional counterpart: Harlan Ellison’s 1965 short story “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman”
Here’s a substantial article about a possible deep explanation for so much of what’s going on lately, as well as the entire popularity of conspiracy theories. I come to this in the context of Harari’s speculations about what people in the future will do when or if they don’t need to work anymore. (In Homo Deus, reviewed here. Chapter 9.) Take drugs (i.e. pharmacology to mediate moods and behavior), and play computer games.
(Or become obsessed watching sports, I might add.)
Here’s another idea.
The Atlantic, Derek Thompson, 23 Feb 2024: The Americans Who Need Chaos, subtitled “They’re embracing nihilism and upending politics.”
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