X And The Quest for Glory

•

I think if you don't get regular encouragement in non digital life, X gives some people a place to feel encouraged, special, and on mission. A thread (🧵):

Good families and church work should provide the material and spiritual conditions for encouragement and validation. But when those places don't (or people don't find them there by choice), then X becomes an arena for glory.

X is a jousting tournament. It's a place to win and gain glory. If we win there, we could do whatever we want now. Guys want this success, this notoriety.

Have you ever read the book "Status Anxiety" (Alain de Botton)? I think there is a basic idea of status chasing that X fills. Or think of Becker's The Denial of Death. Fame, glory, and honour—X gives it, although I'd argue in a corrupt or imperfect way.

Romans 2 (pursue glory, honour, and immortality) positively gives a place for these pursuits concretely in good works (thus glory) and right approbation (so honour) and the reward (and so immortality).

Also, X doesn't require personal charisma or stature like TikTok and YouTube do. Nor does it require stable character like church work does; nor does it require leadership skill like institutions do.

So it frees one up to gain status and fame without the moderating influence of the pressure of regular life