Sampling Life
We Sample Life instead of Savouring it. Chasing short lived thrills instead of wanting to experience sustained joy.
We have over 800 TV channels in India, OTT networks, streaming music sites, social websites — all are available in the palm of one’s hand; the smart phone. Because of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), we do not commit ourselves to a particular channel or platform. We surf and sample.
Similarly, we are flooded with more than 1800 different types of cheese, more than 75 different variants of shampoos, more than 60 brands of cars, and a similar mind-boggling variety in other categories of products and services. Given this surfeit of choice, our loyalty to any brand is on the decline because we want to sample and experiment and try.
There are apps like Tinder and okCupid which actively promote dating and temporary relationships. Living in, temporary contractual relationships, and having friends with benefits is a common reality. Marriage is no longer looked upon as a covenant of trust but a relationship which is good while it lasts. We sample people in our relationships.
We sample knowledge. Our knowledge is superficial. We do not want to get into the details of anything. We consume news in small bites; we only read the headlines. We dislike in depth investigative stories. We have no time nor the attention span to delve deep into topics and issues.
We sample jobs. Jobs are no longer looked upon as permanent employment options. More and more Companies are recruiting “temps” who work temporarily on projects and move on. It’s the “Gig economy” where contract jobs and freelance work is the predominant mode of supporting oneself and family.
In a post truth world all that matters are opinions not facts. There is no time to check for facts.
In how forceful a manner one states one’s opinions and the frequency with which one states them tends to make them be perceived as truth. We sample these opinions and align ourselves with those which confirm our bias. We have made ourselves vulnerable to fake news, fake facts and fake perspectives.
Our relationships are illusory based on likes registered on social media. These are just acquaintances at best, but they seem to fill the immense vacuum we are experiencing in an over-communicating world where there is no communication. The ephemeral and the temporary makes us avoid being committed. We sample one another’s DP pics and list our likes which become a symbol of our so-called positive relationship.
We rent places instead of owning a house. We travel by Uber or Ola instead of owning a car. We rent things instead of owning them. We do not want to feel anchored. We want to feel free; to detach ourselves from anyone or anything and pragmatically move on. We’re unfettered. We are continuously sampling life instead of digesting it and dwelling on it.
