The Modern American Mind

Capitalism: Anti-Intellectualism & The Collective Aesthetic

It was the ingenious socioeconomic philosopher -- Karl Marx -- who repeatedly posited that workforces enabling Capitalism in the State become “alienated” as an effect of job monotony and wholly unrewarding labor.  Indeed, one only need consider the popular employers these days -- and the nature of their often unscrupulous business practices -- to realize the truth of this line of Marxist thought.  As the employee becomes increasingly detached from their eight hour work day and its significance (f. ex: societal importance and personal fulfillment), their personality and behavioral preferences suffer.  They change.  

The inevitable disaffection manifests itself through negative attitudes, nihilism, changes in behavior, and the implicit acceptance of willful ignorance.  This is a degradation of personal value systems, belief systems, and -- yes -- overall quality of personhood insofar as mental content is involved. New practices are adopted in the dynamics of the subconscious perception of poor work and -- most pertinently -- the will of character is compromised.

These new interests supplant the inherently complex, knowledge- and novelty-seeking proclivities we all possess -- for a hugely important reason: to decrease cognitive dissonance. After all, when one is surrounded by simplistic and banal pop-culture (f. ex: political pandering, obsession with mindless NFL exhibitions, reality TV addiction, decreased worldly concern, smart phone dependence), an analytical mind with penetrating observational capacities becomes unnecessary -- and an encumbrance.  Such an intellect self-reflects and one senses that recognition of these societal truths is depressing and uncomfortable.  And so logical capabilities decrease as their conclusions are unwelcome; ignorance becomes the preference of cognition.

The power of alienation is insidious, overlooked, unrealized -- and definitely underestimated.  Think of what passes for entertainment and choices for leisure time.  The aforementioned football games feature the incredible chasing-down of balls that people throw around on a huge field.  What excitement!  Pathetic.  The National news media is seemingly committed to delivering the most insipid of political platitudes.  We've allowed government representatives to make a corrupt career out of what should be a respectable position.

And because we've sidelined our questioning nature, when the politicians talk down to us and propose outrageous agendas, we barely consider our next voting cycle. The Capitalist populace applaudes simple and distracting answers from those in power because their utterances tacitly promote and endorse their chosen simpleton lives.

But when the opposite occasionally gains traction -- carefully researched insights and academic findings -- we either ignore on the account of incomprehension or otherwise feel contempt. Such frustrated anger emerges because progressive ideas threaten the established/acquired lifestyles that have become definitional to altered mentalities.  Here again is an all-too-familiar effect of saturation in a passive society that is apathetic, fatalistic -- forced into the most soul-crushing kinds of labor.

Critical thought, having been put on the back burner, where it inevitably erodes, is obviously disappearing in these modern times.  That which occupies such a corrupted and closed mind, entertaining it and silencing it -- whether they be delusional religious beliefs or behaviors that express a suppressed intellect (and lack of charismatic complexity) -- gains popularity rapidly.  And so, sadly, the lowest common denominator rules all.  

What's worse is that this reality goes on, invisible and self-perpetuating.

More Proof: “De-Sophisticated” Taste

• Prevalence of video games
• Kiddie movies
• Disdain for Common Core education
• Disinterest in the arts and artistry
• Technology dependence
• Listening to books, not reading them
• UFC Sensationalism
• Partisan news sources
• “Selfies”
• Popularity of NetFlix