Cogito ergo sum. I think therefore I am.
Thank you Rene Descartes, you were right in 1637 and you’re still right (to a certain point) now. Technology, sociology and theology have changed a bit since the 16th Century; these days thinking to exist just doesn’t cut it anymore, and why would it?
Right now we’re rich beyond our wildest dreams. I’m not talking about your bank balance here, I’m talking about your ‘access balance’.
Imagine for a second that the internet was your credit card – you’d have more than a trillion in the bank. See what I mean? You’re blooming loaded my friend. Ok, so you’re rich with websites rather than cash, but that’s just as good, right? No, I’m not convinced either. But while websites won’t buy you that Ferrari you had your eye on, they will, and are, changing the way we think (and therefore are).
For example:
Last night I decided I would ‘treat’ myself to some baked beans on toast and shared this enlightening decision (I’m sure you’ll agree) with my friends via social networking. But with zero comments or likes, it seems my 190 facebook friends, don’t share the same opinion.
Undeterred and armed with my tin of Tesco beans Heinz, I headed into to the twittersphere and treated my 27 followers to an up-to-the minute timeline of the beans epic journey from tin to toast and then tummy.
I know what you’re thinking – where’s the evidence? Step forward messrs Flickr and YouTube to provide the victorious plate licking snaps (you can, if you so desire, see the whole set from raw food to finish here.)
and of course that tense last mouthful:
And with that the fairy tell story of one man and his tin of beans is complete.
So what would Descartes make of it all?
Aside from the obvious concerns about my need to broadcast my dinner to all and sundry, I think he’d probably have to re-work his theory on existing. In a world of Facebook, Twitter and Youtube what we think is just the beginning; it is what we say that counts.
The new theory?
I share, therefore I am.
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