To Whom this applies:

Moments pass, and the human body expires. For some, this realization leads to hedonism – the pursuit of momentary pleasure. Others see their mortality as an opportunity to be great. If souls never die, the game of forever is not defined by earthly feelings, circumstances, and emotions. Instead, we have a latent responsibility to pursue virtuous lives and ultimately give up a “for now attitude” - forever. One would be a fool to ignore that which he is called to do.

Cultural winds are unpredictable. The importance of developing strong written communication skills is undefined these days; the perceived value of a liberal arts degree decreases as A.I. models prove their abilities to synthesize information. When I applied to college after high school, elders often told me to choose a major in a growing field like engineering and law, because I had strong quantitative reasoning skills and a penchant for prose. If I blindly followed their advice, I’d likely be more prone to layoffs than I am. Machines are far better at logical calculation than man, but microchips can’t feel.

Sculptors of Space and Time

Writing gurus often repeat the saying, “show don’t tell,” meaning, “the best explanations occur in reality. Jargon-filled philosophical texts don’t provide meaning – that is, unless they’re accompanied by expressive real-life examples. Meta communication – writing about writing – is captivating if you’re interested in writing. A meta vlog – a video blog about making videos – is relevant if you like videography or the preparation for sharing knowledge. I aim to use this platform to show you why writing is important – and why writing about interesting topics – is the best way to do so. Hopefully the topics I discuss make captivating video essays.

The world has been drifting away from the written word. As one may observe from slang terms like Youtube University, people believe access to useful knowledge is virtually infinite and should be free. If a picture is worth 1000 words, and each moment of a video is an image, then a 10-minute video is far more likely to be more valuable than a 10,000 word essay. I want to prove the falsehood of this line of reasoning, but my performance is far more potent than text can express.

Contemporary writers and philosophers face a unique challenge – a challenge where their medium is virtually invisible to the average person. Beyond books, physical media like albums, DVDs, and cassettes have become vintage, retro, or antique. Good luck finding a Walkman or Blu-Ray player (I assume you know what those are). Since the first youtube video of 2005, newspapers, magazines, and art were changed forever. In a short 20 years, short-term video became the most influential platform for mass communication. James Baldwin didn’t need to worry about “first six second watch times,” or other algorithmic metrics, to determine if his writing would see the world. His work was driven by how his words, mind, and perspective impacted his community. Future essays will explore the intersection of Black intellectuals and digital media.

Nothing digital is in stone; tombstones don’t have spellcheck. An author with a pen and pad may only cross out a limited number of lines before paragraphs become an illegible mess. Backspace helps escape the eyesore of permanent mistakes, but flaws must come before a masterpiece. The ability to make infinite revisions presents the illusion of potential perfection. Without deadlines, one can spend endless hours editing minute details. Analysis paralysis kills more dreams than failed attempts. Published work appreciates over time. Digital publications have a more complicated route to the physical world.

The evils of fleshly life are infinite, but our language, culture, and mythologies are windows to paradoxes being a human. Stories are avenues for sharing emotions, ideas, and dreams, yet the capacity to connect with others depends on our openness to explore new tales. In the context of this Stack, a digital world cannot be the only exhibition of authorship; I must find ways to embody the principles discussed, because truth only exists in reality.

A letter to zealots

All that to say, evil is unbound and may only be understood via context; the same is true for good. A constricted view of history disallows useful comparison, rendering judgement more flawed. Humans are fated to imperfection — this isn’t a surrender to malicious forces. Instead, we have a duty to pursue perfect virtue – even if the attempts result in failure – as this is our only way to create an immortal entity. By design, the human body expires. This aspect of the Maker’s architecture we ought not destroy.

As she cry, "mi amor, " the phantom dies in the opera
And to the younguns who carry gadgets
And kill six days a week, then rest on the Sabbath
Violence ain't necessary, unless you provoke me

KTD,

Apollo