Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut must be one of my favorite authors of all time. Breakfast of Champions, Slaughterhouse Five, Hocus Pocus…I love them all. If you haven’t read any of his work, I would definitely recommend checking it out.
Anyway, I was skimming through Timequake the other day and realized that he offers a wealth of advice that actually applies to the world of social media. As a fun weekend post, let’s take a look at what he has to offer.
“New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become.” – Cat’s Cradle
We are living at a such an exciting time! Anything and everything we could ever want to learn about can be found online. Knowledge has been democratized. Every single person has the opportunity to share, and I believe we will all become collectively richer from it–in mind, in spirit, and perhaps even in wealth.
“[Freedom of speech] isn’t something somebody else gives you. That’s something you need to give to yourself.” – Hocus Pocus
We now have more freedom of speech than anyone in history, and everyone’s voice can be heard. However, it still requires that we take the first step. Joining that social network. Starting that blog. Writing that comment. There is no longer an excuse to sit passively on the sidelines.
“Many people need desperately to receive this message: ‘I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people don’t care about them. You are not alone.’” – Timequake
Not only is it a great thing to be a part of this worldwide dialogue — it is almost an obligation. Who knows when someone will be inspired by your ideas, or comforted in the fact that they are not the only one who feels a certain way. Your participation in online communities can truly change a person’s day, mood, or general outlook, whether from across town or across the globe.
“When a man becomes a writer, I think he takes on a sacred obligation to produce beauty and enlightenment and comfort at top speed.” – Cat’s Cradle
This quote is even more true today than when Vonnegut penned it. You no longer have to be an “author” to be a writer. Countless people have become writers online, and although their topics may vary, each is offering their own version of beauty or enlightenment. However, because there is so much content, now more than ever we find that everything is transient, and passes in the blink of an eye. We all must do our part to contribute and participate whenever possible.
“People have to talk about something just to keep their voice boxes in working order, so they’ll have good voice boxes in case there’s ever anything really meaningful to say.” – Cat’s Cradle
Although this sounds like a negative, I don’t take it as such. This is actually one of the reasons I started this blog. Though not all of the posts here are exceptional or groundbreaking or memorable, I do think it’s important that I keep putting my thoughts out there…and when I do have something exceptional or groundbreaking or memorable to share, I’ll have the platform to do so.
“Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do the maintenance.” - Hocus Pocus
This is extremely applicable to those who want to become thought leaders today. Things get in the way. We get busy. There are distractions. It’s easy to start a blog, but it can be hard to find the time and energy to write regularly. We must remember that, just as with anything else, maintenance is key to long-term success.
“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.” – Mother Night
Each of us is creating our own doppelgänger of sorts online. I’m doing it now. (So are you!) This online persona is becoming more and more important. New employers and potential friends will examine the digital trails we leave, and make judgments accordingly. Although this is a reason to exercise caution, it is also a great opportunity to improve ourselves, one baby step at a time. Pretend to be more confident…pretend to be more open…pretend that what you have to say is powerful…and you might discover one day that it is true (and that others think so too!)
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Unfortunately the late, great Kurt V. is no longer with us. He may be gone, but his great advice is as powerful as ever.
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So it goes.
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