This post has no reference to the Rush song. I thought of something interesting (at least I find it interesting) yesterday. I hardly ever use status updates, likes, or participate in anything Facebook. An idea struck me that if I wanted to promote myself (and my blog), that this would be something that I should do. Start liking people’s retarded updates. Sharing every single thing I’m doing every minute of every day. Basically be a complete tool of social media. This would get my name out there more often than any other means at the lowest cost possible. So I asked myself, is that what I want?
When I presented this idea to Steve and then asked him “would you still respect me as a human being,” his answer was “perhaps”. I find this to be a phenomenal answer. I would turn into a completely fake person. Not participating is me being real. Going out of my way to use Facebook for social means would be a different part of me (ala Katy Perry). On one hand, this is a great idea on self promotion and almost a necessity to expand my network. On the other, I’d become a huge sellout. However, what choice do you have if you want to find the limelight?
Howard Roark (another Fountainhead reference, sorry) relied on the fact that his work was his advertising. The quality of his work would be seen by other people and they would directly come to him to do other projects. What I’m suggesting goes against anything real and involves artificially creating your path towards success. This is how I view celebrities like Paris and LiLo. They actively do things to get their name in the paper. They want to be in the limelight. To put things in perspective, they are commenting on everything on Facebook so people know who they are. The problem with the limelight is that it is unhealthy. This false lifestyle eats away at you. It isn’t pure and sound. So why do people want it? Money helps. Recognition. Feeling important
I do think that there can be a better ways and the answer is my favorite, balance. You have to balance the self promotion. What good is your work if nobody reads it? Sure you have the feeling on the inside but that only takes you so far. There has to be some essence of putting yourself out there to take your work to the next level. Sharing with people to enrich them. This isn’t 1950 when Howard Roark roamed the streets. This is an information society where things happen in the wink of an eye. To reach the limelight you have to take part in the social craze. A rare few people can do it without this medium. Those are the people who can survive the limelight. For the others (my idea), a life of misery awaits.
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