Modern Wisdom #473 - Tom Van Der Linden - Finding Heroic Meaning In Modern Life
May 14, 2022
Tom Van Der Linden, a YouTuber and creator of Like Stories of Old, dives into finding meaning in our technologically-driven lives. He explores how heroic narratives in media can influence our expectations and relationships. The discussion touches on philosophical insights from Albert Camus and David Foster Wallace, examining suffering, connection, and the tension of existence. Van Der Linden also tackles the challenges of modern storytelling and the exploration of consciousness, pushing listeners to reflect on personal heroism and societal roles.
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Heroic Stories and Ego
- Heroic stories can be problematic because viewers often insert themselves as the hero.
- This can inflate egos, especially in our performative social media age.
Performative Empathy
- The line between serving others and serving oneself is blurry in our performative culture.
- People often prioritize appearing good over genuinely doing good.
Inner Citadels
- People create inner citadels to cope with desires they can't fulfill.
- They reject the game if they can't win, creating new rules where they can succeed.
