Simply stunning. I love that you read distraction not as a sign of weakness but as the activity of a desire that still hasn’t found what it’s looking for. (At least, that’s what I think you’re saying, through the thinkers mentioned.) And I’ll have to think more about the idea that distraction is a sign that we are doing what humans do, and that the question we should be asking is not “who’s to blame” or “how can I train myself to live in this attentional hellscape” but something like “how can I get distracted toward what is better and better? How can I make going from distraction to distraction equal going from strength to strength?” (Am I getting this right?) I’ve got all kinds of thoughts about what to put in my butterfly garden, but occasional hazards has got to be in there. And I have to say, this piece’s conclusion has me thinking theological thoughts.
Simply stunning. I love that you read distraction not as a sign of weakness but as the activity of a desire that still hasn’t found what it’s looking for. (At least, that’s what I think you’re saying, through the thinkers mentioned.) And I’ll have to think more about the idea that distraction is a sign that we are doing what humans do, and that the question we should be asking is not “who’s to blame” or “how can I train myself to live in this attentional hellscape” but something like “how can I get distracted toward what is better and better? How can I make going from distraction to distraction equal going from strength to strength?” (Am I getting this right?) I’ve got all kinds of thoughts about what to put in my butterfly garden, but occasional hazards has got to be in there. And I have to say, this piece’s conclusion has me thinking theological thoughts.
Could you direct me to the Simmel, Kracauer, Adorno text you referred to, please?