It’s wild how much some of us want to transfer knowledge to each other. Such a strange thing this desire to teach others, to show them the contents of our brains and reveal the mysteries of the world
I was thinking just today about how many billions of people in history could neither read nor write. As a result, we will never know what their thoughts were. Nothing they ever thought was written down, unless they somehow were in a situation where someone with the necessary education was recording the spoken thoughts of the illiterate.
I think about that often. Who has access to passing down knowledge and stories and who has control of communication.
Many cultures throughout history passed down knowledge through verbal storytelling, but annihilate elders and separate the children from their communities and you instantly lose those learnings and stories. It’s not just literacy but what is allowed to be made public, who gets to keep these words, who decides which words are worthy of being called “history”.
So many stories and perspectives we’ll never recover. The same will happen to many of us today. It bothers me a lot.
@courtcan @stephaniepixie I'm sick in bed consuming stories a lot. I watch old movies & contemporary offerings in many genres. I notice that, in terms of human storytelling & communication. broadcasting has replaced elder women storytellers with a system controlled by rich white men (simplifying & generalizing here). The content & messaging is surely different! The effect on society is surely different. Maybe monetization of stories is humanity's biggest problem!
@RMiddleton @stephaniepixie I am SO with both of you on all of this! I live in Oklahoma. The past few years, I've been learning more about the horrific treatment of First/Native Americans here. It really was a genocidal attempt to eradicate their entire civilization -- and separating the children from elders was one of the most powerful weapons of mass destruction.
We humans need stories from our elders. We need Story. Fahrenheit 451 was so prophetic. I wish my own memory were more reliable.
@courtcan maybe embarrassing to admit but I really liked HBO's Rome. I haven't seen it since it came out so I can't say if I stand by the opinion still. What I liked about it is that it was pre-Christian or a-Christian. I felt like I was seeing the lives of people who were very much like me but who lived in a different world. It's silly. I know the show was all Hollywood sex & violence! But it made me *think* about ancient people as people.
@RMiddleton I haven't seen the show, but I get what you mean. We *need* those perspectives on history that aren't conveyed through one religion's perspectives of right & wrong.
Court Cantrell will not comply
in reply to Loren • • •I was thinking just today about how many billions of people in history could neither read nor write. As a result, we will never know what their thoughts were. Nothing they ever thought was written down, unless they somehow were in a situation where someone with the necessary education was recording the spoken thoughts of the illiterate.
It bothers me.
stephaniepixie 🏳️🌈
in reply to Court Cantrell will not comply • • •I think about that often. Who has access to passing down knowledge and stories and who has control of communication.
Many cultures throughout history passed down knowledge through verbal storytelling, but annihilate elders and separate the children from their communities and you instantly lose those learnings and stories.
It’s not just literacy but what is allowed to be made public, who gets to keep these words, who decides which words are worthy of being called “history”.
So many stories and perspectives we’ll never recover. The same will happen to many of us today.
It bothers me a lot.
Rob 🏳️🌈 RMiddleton.Art
in reply to stephaniepixie 🏳️🌈 • • •I'm sick in bed consuming stories a lot. I watch old movies & contemporary offerings in many genres. I notice that, in terms of human storytelling & communication. broadcasting has replaced elder women storytellers with a system controlled by rich white men (simplifying & generalizing here). The content & messaging is surely different! The effect on society is surely different. Maybe monetization of stories is humanity's biggest problem!
Michael Paulino
in reply to Rob 🏳️🌈 RMiddleton.Art • • •#github mastadon #microsoft #siliconvalley #foia #journalism #nyc #boston #nft #digitalart #google #llm #llama #meta #gemini #charity # #philanthropy #activism #election #electionday #huggingface #perchance #chatgpt #aiart #artbasel2024 #instagram #linux #michaelpaulino #michaelpaulinostudios
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www.voxels.comCourt Cantrell will not comply
in reply to Rob 🏳️🌈 RMiddleton.Art • • •@RMiddleton @stephaniepixie I am SO with both of you on all of this! I live in Oklahoma. The past few years, I've been learning more about the horrific treatment of First/Native Americans here. It really was a genocidal attempt to eradicate their entire civilization -- and separating the children from elders was one of the most powerful weapons of mass destruction.
We humans need stories from our elders. We need Story. Fahrenheit 451 was so prophetic. I wish my own memory were more reliable.
Rob 🏳️🌈 RMiddleton.Art
in reply to Court Cantrell will not comply • • •Court Cantrell will not comply
in reply to Rob 🏳️🌈 RMiddleton.Art • • •