I'm familiar with Pageau, but not that particular description from him. (As always, not surprised how insightful it is.)
This all started with something Jeremy said that he read about the concept of Medusa being an agent of "manipulation and control, twisting reality with her influence." I think there are certainly a lot of parallels in today's world. Thanks as always for the considerate read-through.
I thought, as I read, that I really have not thought that much about this myth, but the connections between the myth and the modern sirens of attention are uncanny. It is a strange feeling, one that I still wrestle with, when we are compelled to look at something and to not look at the same time. As I consider it, it is an uncomfortable push pull that I don't feel in nature for instance. Interesting that Odysseus wanted to be tied to the mast to feel it yet not succumb.
Oh yeah, bigtime. Not only classical myths but tons of folklore revolve around that push and pull. Thinking about it now, it seems you're right: it's never heroes, human antagonists from society, or nature itself that creates that sense—it's monsters. Thanks for reading as always Jed, and that's certainly something to think about.
Still on my mind. I am an old dungeons and dragons player from way back. Funny I have never really thought twice about the mythic implication of what a monster is. Thinking of a monster in this light giving me pause...
You’ve got my number, Robert! I was thinking about how monsters were portrayed in the past (I settled on nursery rhymes), and how one of today’s might sound, warning against a new manifestation of a very old kind of creature. Thanks so much for reading as always.
This is great, James! I've been thinking about Medusa a lot lately...something everyone thinks makes sense in an ancient context but I enjoyed how you say she lives in our screens. Did you listen to the Lightness lecture?
I did! It's crazy how amidst so many novel problems, quite a few of them are just repackaged old ones. Here's hoping we're starting to learn some of our old lessons.
The dependable rhyming, the iconic symbol of Medusa and your way of presenting it, gives us a chance to look the Gorgon straight in the face -- unaffected -- if only for a moment.
Thank you! And yes, I'm struck by the similarities between a stone statue and what we look like when we're scrolling in public: standing in place, expressionless. I find it more than a little creepy.
Amazing. Isn't a thing that Medusa can only be defeated when she sees her reflection? Maybe that's the answer to this, just put the phones up to each other. 🤣
I've heard the internet described as an inverse Medusa by Jonathan Pageau—a monster that can only exist upon constant attention. Nice insights here.
I'm familiar with Pageau, but not that particular description from him. (As always, not surprised how insightful it is.)
This all started with something Jeremy said that he read about the concept of Medusa being an agent of "manipulation and control, twisting reality with her influence." I think there are certainly a lot of parallels in today's world. Thanks as always for the considerate read-through.
I thought, as I read, that I really have not thought that much about this myth, but the connections between the myth and the modern sirens of attention are uncanny. It is a strange feeling, one that I still wrestle with, when we are compelled to look at something and to not look at the same time. As I consider it, it is an uncomfortable push pull that I don't feel in nature for instance. Interesting that Odysseus wanted to be tied to the mast to feel it yet not succumb.
Oh yeah, bigtime. Not only classical myths but tons of folklore revolve around that push and pull. Thinking about it now, it seems you're right: it's never heroes, human antagonists from society, or nature itself that creates that sense—it's monsters. Thanks for reading as always Jed, and that's certainly something to think about.
Still on my mind. I am an old dungeons and dragons player from way back. Funny I have never really thought twice about the mythic implication of what a monster is. Thinking of a monster in this light giving me pause...
It has a nightmarish nursery rhyme quality about it. Really impressive James.
You’ve got my number, Robert! I was thinking about how monsters were portrayed in the past (I settled on nursery rhymes), and how one of today’s might sound, warning against a new manifestation of a very old kind of creature. Thanks so much for reading as always.
This is great, James! I've been thinking about Medusa a lot lately...something everyone thinks makes sense in an ancient context but I enjoyed how you say she lives in our screens. Did you listen to the Lightness lecture?
I did! It's crazy how amidst so many novel problems, quite a few of them are just repackaged old ones. Here's hoping we're starting to learn some of our old lessons.
The dependable rhyming, the iconic symbol of Medusa and your way of presenting it, gives us a chance to look the Gorgon straight in the face -- unaffected -- if only for a moment.
Thanks, Hasse; definitely a shorter form to work with so it was a bit of an experiment, but fun to try.
I love the second stanza. Good work.
Thanks, Richard, so glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing word picture. Yes, she has turned us to the equivalent of fleshy stone, frozen in place, eyes fixed to our screens.
Thank you! And yes, I'm struck by the similarities between a stone statue and what we look like when we're scrolling in public: standing in place, expressionless. I find it more than a little creepy.
Amazing. Isn't a thing that Medusa can only be defeated when she sees her reflection? Maybe that's the answer to this, just put the phones up to each other. 🤣
Hey, right?! I've seen other folks do this with Siri and Alexa; have them "converse" to one another for hours. Dystopian to say the least.