Living Authentically
I think I've made it painfully clear that I have an aching resentment for pretentiousness and insincerity. As someone who lives and breathes through art, the quality of what I spend my time on is important to me. Aestheticism is prioritized above all else in today's world (just look—people are using AI!), which is something I'm sure everyone has grown increasingly aware of. Everyone says they love art and creativity, but it's all a costume. People who love fashion love it because it looks pretty. People who love music love it because it sounds nice. Everything is short-lived and superficial; we're driven by momentary happiness. Just watch an interview of any artist from the 80s talk about fashion: every piece of clothing, while there may not be some integral philosophy they've incorporated in it, still has some sort of meaning. Everything is from somewhere and means something to them. We live best through passion and humility. If something just feels good or looks nice, you might as well not pursue it at all! We all ought to question what we love more. Love what you love because of what it has to offer you, not because you can post it somewhere.
So how do we live with more integrity? Your mind is the only thing you will never escape. Even your body can be modified, but the chemicals within your brain cannot. Your views and thoughts are everchanging, but you cannot trick yourself out of them. Succumbing to social media and modern-day consumption and constraints will only kill you.
A big problem around the illusion of depth/authenticity circulates around intelligence. Everyone believes themself to be higher than others; people often see themselves even as a sort of saint, blessing those around them with their wisdom. People are incredibly opinionated nowadays, despite not knowing anything about the subject matter. People think some short research will tell you about something, when it won't. If I've learned anything about learning, it's that you have to dedicate yourself wholly to something for months, if not years. You have to dig deep, or you'll only scratch the surface (and the farther you dig, you more you grow aware of your ignorance). More than just rant, I hope to highlight some ways that I have tried to incorporate living authentically and learning deeply into my own life.
How to Learn (Simply)
I actually struggle with this a lot, to this day. Like 99% of people nowadays, when I want to learn of something, I turn to the internet. I go to YouTube and Google, even though these will probably leave me knowing less than when I started (leaving your mind a blank page is better than filling yourself with incorrect knowledge!). YouTube isn't usually very trustworthy, because I've noticed that most people on YouTube are interested in film/videomaking, not the subject matter itself. This usually leads to informative videos using topics as filler content, as a sort of placeholder muse to get views. Even worse, the accounts that are dedicated to a specific topic are often trying to sell you something. I rarely find channels that seem to truly care for what they're condoning (new ones, at least).
It also depends a lot on what you're trying to learn about in specific. I've found that looking up "(topic) blogspot" helps a lot. Blogging culture was completely different from modern-day social media, it was much more uncommon and encouraged researching and writing giant articles as a long-term hobby. I've noticed that the people on Google Blogger have usually been doing what they're doing for at least a decade, leaving their blog with hundreds of articles jam-packed with priceless information. These people aren't going through the hoops of editing and promoting, they're just writing what they feel. Old blogs are always a great place to learn about things. Reading in general is actually what I would recommend: if your interests are a little less esoteric, try going to your local library or some online ones and find some books about what you're wanting to know about. Reading nonfiction is an extremely important part of developing your taste and vocabulary. If all you can do is consume/create fiction, then you'll never grow. Fiction can't be meaningful without borrowing something that isn't. You can also probably find something relating to your interest in question in archival sites, such as the Internet Archive. Bouncing back to my point regarding blogs, people who are truly bursting with passion will have more information than anyone else. Finding old websites, forums, etc. will take you farther than searching for something on TikTok. Finding small, tight-knit communities is also a great help.
This article was short and more of a ramble than something educational, but I hope this was of some use to anyone reading it. Words connect souls. Explore your interests with an open mind and a warm heart.
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