When being social, I have had the unfortunate tendency to talk about politics because that is easiest to discuss and it offers nothing person, in my opinion. However, because many imperial residents are in denial, it has not served me well in basic conversation whenever I am unemployed. Most people, I have found, are looking for light and breezy discussions so that we can all pretend like the world is fine and nothing needs to change. For me, I would at least like the chance to be shallow with others, but there are some real barriers to hobbies and thoughtless pursuits.
First and foremost, shallow pursuits cost money, and pretending like everyone can use our imagination to the same extent is to pretend that algorithms have shaped none of modern society. Any hobby costs money, including writing, because people still need to either type or write out their thoughts. Meditation and observation are free, but most people have opinions about those who fail to pursue trendy endeavors. This is one reason why people without resources are having trouble relating to those who can pour money into anything their hearts desire.
Moreover, I have generally found that thoughtless people are uninteresting because they follow trends that change with the blowing of the wind. This essentially means that nothing really matters to them, not even their own opinions. This is annoying because to have a healthy discussion, one has to have a particular persuasion, even about one’s personal life. Discussions with people who care about nothing and are waiting for popular input is actually stressful unless one follows trends and celebrities.
In my opinion, the world is where it is because too many people demanded the right to be shallow instead of thoughtful, which is why people are itching to use AI instead of learning skills or sharing knowledge. College would mean more if people had opinions to work on shaping, and folks were willing to consider something than their immediate comfort. Being shallow is expensive and boring, which is why we had so many middle class people who imitated each other when wages were relatively decent. The only way to make shallow conversation possible again is to put out some of the fires currently burning society.
Chasing A Dying Empire 