Did you see the nib of the fountain pen? A bit like a Chisel. The author lathe himself and shed His pieces on paper. What is his hope? Discovery. Is this anything but a disease?
I think being a writer is like being a Beaver, David Mamet said in a video interview. Beavers have teeth itch. That’s why they cut down the trees. Because this is the only way to get rid of teeth itch. I think so am I. It’s not my teeth, it’s my cognizance that this happens to him. How can I suffocate him? You have to give him something different, a problem that he likes. From time to time, the problem he seeks may not be pleasant.
“Letters to a Young Writer” by Mario Vargas Llosa discusses aristocratic women in history who ingested creams to keep fit and eat food at the same time. The result was that they were always hungry and always fit. “Writing cream is the same as that,” he says.
Artists often discuss their inspiration, desire to immortalize themselves, and similar nonsense. What is the result of immortality if you do not possess it and do not benefit from it? Inspiration? What kind of inspiration? Would we describe ourselves as superhuman or austere and mystical?
As with philosophers, artists tend to think and analyze. The artist’s problem is that his emotions override his rationality. The philosopher is given rationality, whereas the artist is given emotions. He is, therefore, unable to live like an ordinary man, be like others, and conform to customary patterns and values.
The author desires to bring out all those thoughts, analyses, and findings from mental exploration. Discovery is his passion. He should be discovered, however (like any other human being) he does not have a discoverer. In the accumulated mass of exploration and discovery, there is no way out. He may be fortunate enough to turn them into works, such as novels, paintings, music, or sculpture. In unfortunate circumstances (the artist does not create every day), it can lead to depression and mental illness.
So you tell me, which wise comfort-seeker would be willing to discover an inquiring prodigy or endure his depression? nobody.
A few decades ago, writers had the privilege of writing, being critiqued, participating in other people’s discoveries, and generally being in the center of attention. Today, our neighborhood hairdresser is more familiar and effective than a writer. How will the future look?
According to the pessimistic view, we are enslaved by technology with a mobile phone in our hands and a computer in front of us. Many common tasks have been delegated to digital tools. We do not save phone numbers anymore. We do not route. We do not keep track of addresses. We do not perform simple calculations. Instead, the machine reads the words aloud to us. Eventually, we become addicted to the words that Google suggests, and our brain activity gradually decreases.
We have given up simple activities, so we have more time for more fulfilling activities. After the Industrial Revolution, people continually sought ways to increase productivity. Please clarify what the word “more fulfilling activities” means.
The future will witness the transfer of a variety of mental and physical activities, large and small, to technology.
Recently, I searched for artificial intelligence services on Google. The results were dismal. Soon, AI will be able to produce books, articles, blog posts, emails, etc.
Is AI capable of creating wisdom, philosophy, and thought? Perhaps. However, the question remains: What should people do? Should they follow what artificial intelligence creates? Should his brain be completely shut down?
We appear to be getting closer and closer to the point where we will be able to shut down our brain and transfer its power to other organs. This is happening with each passing day.
In the words of the Iranian philosopher Dariush Shaygan: I believe that technology, production, and consumption are the new trinity of our modern temple.
Now, what do you think can be done about a patient who needs to be discovered? Even writing no longer seems to help him…
