ON BOOKS AND APPEARANCES – AND JUNK MAIL

The programme, ABC RN Saturday Extra, 11 January 2020, headed by Ms. 'Giggles' Doouge, was switched on towards its 9:00am conclusion, ready for the news. The discussion was on reading books. The point being made by The Guardian journalist, (Josephine Tovey, news editor, The Guardian: see - https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/03/before-the-internet-broke-my-attention-span-i-read-books-compulsively-now-it-takes-willpower), was that books required concentration, a singular, intimate involvement; a certain complete commitment. It was noted that the present world of social media engages different skills. This new world was said to be one of diversity, 'multi-tasking' was the word used, requiring a completely different set of applications to those demanded by the reading a book. It was as though the effort to pick up and read a book was old-fashioned, of another out-dated era: a quaint pastime of another irrelevant period that one might engage in by way of a new distraction, possibly something to Tweet about, or write articles on: look at me reading! WOW! - a BOOK!!

The suggestion is that the words used here to explain the issue, make the current everyday experience appear usefully valuable, indeed preferable to any basic, olde worlde, ordinary, singular struggle that is mocked for its technical naivety: youth is supreme, and supremely confident, self-assured! Just look and ME; listen to ME! The word 'task' suggests a real project that has a potentially positive outcome, with 'multi-tasking' suggesting many of these events are possible, even achievable, at the same time, with a concurrent efficiency, when, in fact, the world of social media is one of a constant, fuzzed flux of flicked appearances and messages that repeatedly arrive and are sent from the personal mobile phone, MY equipment, MY tool, in MY place and space, when I am doing anything and everything: so-called 'muti-tasking.' It is really a world of constant, multiple distractions, disturbances that fracture general attention to anywhere and elsewhere, efforts that have to be minimised to accommodate expected interferences and intrusions that concentrate events on ME, not the other. Little wonder that the uninterrupted time needed to read a book is seen as a boring enigma, literally a waste of time when 'I' am not explicitly involved as the centrepiece of existence.

To help overcome this self-centred world view, to see it for what it is, one proposes that a more appropriate analogy for social media might be 'junk mail.' Seen in terms of the snail mail of the old world of post, (one has to acknowledge that this post is verrrry slow), when stuff would just arrive, unannounced and unwanted, these interfering, distracting messages are really merely junk mail that has a more personally directed framework with a special, fake intimacy acquired by it being on MY gadget, in MY hand, with the images and messages arriving, apparently, for ME alone, for MY eyes. Lingering behind these pings, pongs, and likes and dislikes, is some latent self-importance: I am being noticed; I can have my say - I am relevant: click - a selfie to flick on to whoever: just ME, only ME. The trickster knows of this emotional engagement when fake E-mails are sent full of praise and promise, perhaps prizes, and the surprises of love; or, on a more practical basis, offering banking warnings and assistance highlighting the 'helpful' threats of loss that trick with the caution to act now! These messages all reach ME, MY phone, allowing ME to see these contacts as being usefully engaging, proof of my relevance; that someone cares for ME: thank you – LIKE.

In the olden days, junk mail would not even be given the status of respect that opening an envelope gives. It was flicked directly into the bin without another thought: "Mmmp. XXX again!" One never gave oneself a tick of approval for being recognised as being the chosen one selected to receive, say, a promotional letter from the PM, a thick coloured brochure from some glossy sale, a special offer, or a free sample. These items were merely seen as a waste of paper and time. There was nothing significant in this arrival of blurb, just annoyance and good riddance. No time or any emotive response, or any consideration was given to this trash. It was immediately dismissed, discarded, and forgotten until the bin had to be emptied.

Now social media is everything and everywhere with ME wanting contacts to make ME standout from the crowd, with ME being always aware of this desire, constantly working on this ambition.# Little wonder that the young are so blindingly over-confident. The thumb aimlessly flicks through images and messages, and replies to all in one so-called multi-tasking operation while perhaps in a cafe with friends, waiting for a bag to appear at an airport, or while being otherwise engaged, even, unfortunately, when driving or working - or, amazingly, doing all of these activities at once and together in any combination. The observation of the operation shows a fast-moving thumb flicking images and messages on with a speed that mesmerises, leaving one to wonder how anything is seen, let alone perceived or pondered; dare one suggest considered? Does it matter? This seems to be a world of the hazed present, of a feeling for the glowing aura that surrounds ME now, only ME, only NOW: click - a selfie for everyone: just ME and MY aura. Next . . . flick; wait for the glowing responses. "How many likes were there?" WOW! Look at all of my ‘friends’! "I AM IMPORTANT."

Reading a book is indeed a totally different experience that holds a quiet meaning. It is an experience that can do more than highlight MY importance by silently enriching being. It is an experience with greater depth and resonance with humanity and ideas than the distracting fluid world of speedy, multi-varied readings of flashy images and messages, and selfies, can offer. The world and people will be better off for this silent, bespoke book commitment, because the current everyday appears not only highly competitive, but also a very worrying situation that tests mental health when the reality happens to be glimpsed. Skimming the world may be speedy and slick with lengths and breadths, but it misses just so much height and depth, the regions that writers explore and expand: it is the realm of reflection, thought; of contemplation.

Yes, read a book. Just turn the gadget off and turn a page, preferably a paper page for the gadget remains supreme, a reminder of distractions even when it offers a glimmering book text to read instead of a passing comment or a photo. Gestures hold memory in recollection: this is the device that the thumb flicks over for ‘interest’ and ‘intrigue’; that faces you for selfies: it will distract you in your reading of the book. A book is stable, solid, fixed in time and place, firm and complete like its sounded name. A book does not play games with letter size, fonts, page numbers, reference markers, beginnings and endings. No! You are not as important as the world and your gadget allows you to believe you might be: seek out the other in a real book today - immerse your self and learn about the foibles of technology and its impact on being. Who knows, you might even learn something about yourself too, beyond appearances: next page . . .

One final comment on this world in the context of architecture: the two worlds can be seen as two architectures - one of flashy, flimsy style and smart, slick appearance; the other caring for and nurturing the spirit in nature, touching depth in being, caring: consider a Gehry house and the traditional Japanese house.

P.S.

There is another side of this world, that of personal relationships. While sitting chatting, a ping might sound, the finger of the other might immediately slip aside to the phone, followed by the eyes in between words. Nothing is said about this communication. The finger might tap out a clicked response, the conversation continues. Something else has intruded: how much attention am I really being given at any time? One knows that this 'multi-tasking' means that the other has given thought and attention elsewhere; that I am an aside, a potential irrelevance. It may even mean a telephone call is made: sometimes the call is taken in mid sentence. The idea of giving one's full attention to another has gone: the commitment is to the gadget and elsewhere, at any time, wherever it might lead. Personal involvement is never committed to. One is 'interesting' at best only as long as something else does not come up; just what the mind is doing otherwise is anybody's guess. One is left stranded in the present that is usually a private complexity buzzing everywhere looking for the brightest spot.

Little wonder that the world is in such a shambles. We live in a sea of multiple distractions. We need to learn not only how to read a book, but also how to show simple respect to another - yes, in our architecture too. This merely means turning our gadgets off and concentrating our minds like the craftsman of old, of whom it was said: "Having concentrated, he set to work." We need to learn to concentrate, to ignore the fantasies of a fast world that is promoted as being fabulous, stylish, the height of fashion and self-importance, especially if I have the most prestigious gadgetry installed around me, waiting for me to see or use, perhaps to speak to. WOW! Progress is a farce that needs the expectations and assessments of the feeling body, lived experience, to manage it openly and honestly, to put it in its place. Progress blindly anticipates and promises what it knows nothing about: it does not even challenge itself with the doubt of hope. It is an indulgent certainty that empowers nonsense, a fake future - the idea that the coming months and years are only going to be better and better.

Read a book; discard the gadget; forget it. It has no core or essential substance or meaning - the book does. The name of the little bookshop in Armidale, NSW, Boobook says it all: there is wisdom in books, that of the symbolic owl: acknowledge it; experience it, NOW, its depth and height - give a hoot!

#

15 January 2020

Consider the irony of a text that was sent into the ABC RN Breakfast show, 8:56am, with the author complaining that Olympians should not have any right to protest on matters they know nothing about, as though this individual could! Social media empowers both by facilitating possibilities for communication, and allowing for heightened, indulgent perceptions of self-importance and personal relevance, a confidence that borders on arrogance.

21 January 2020

On multi-tasking: it is not as though this is some new skill of the digital world. In The Ancient Paths, (Picador 2014), Graham Robb writes about Julius Caesar in Gaul -

Caesar was said to be capable of composing several letters at the same time, even on horseback. The previous spring (55BC), while crossing the Alps to rejoin the army in Gaul, he had written a grammatical treatise on the subject of analogy. (p.190)

We really have to reconsider our opinions of our era. We think that we have progressed, and are far superior to the old times BC, but Robb tells us, again on p.190, that Caesar wrote to Cicero from Gaul -

The letter was dated ‘Shores of Nearer Britain, 26 September’. The wooden tablets were tied with string and sealed with wax. They would reach Cicero in Rome on 24 October.

We were sent a Christmas card from the UK in 2019. It was dated 9 December 2019. We received it in Australia on 10 January 2020. Progress? Are we just getting too smug?

On personal relationships: this article in The Guardian is of interest - https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/nov/25/how-to-be-a-good-listener-the-experts-guide Are we too engrossed in ourselves to be bothered to listen to anyone? Maybe listening is a skill that needs developing rather than some self-satisfied, indulgent multi-tasking?