DeepSummary
The episode begins by highlighting the concept of 'modernity' and how our perception of it changes over time. Seth Godin reflects on how John F. Kennedy lived closer to Abraham Lincoln's era than the present day, despite being considered part of the modern age. He discusses the factors that fueled modernity, such as electrification, the telephone, the automobile, and the camera, which transformed art and culture.
Godin distinguishes between modern art as a reaction to the invention of the camera and contemporary art as a reflection of the present moment. He then explores how the current era is being shaped by factors like smartphones, ubiquitous connectivity, the internet, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the threat of climate change, which will dominate conversations going forward.
Godin emphasizes that contemporary art and technology are leading to a new cycle of modernity, where our current world will soon seem outdated, just as Lincoln's era seems ancient now. He encourages listeners to embrace this change and decide what the new normal will be, as the culture we're discussing is now global, with ideas and innovations coming from everywhere.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Our perception of what is considered 'modern' shifts over time as new technologies and cultural shifts emerge.
- Factors like electrification, the telephone, the automobile, and the camera fueled previous eras of modernity, while the current era is being shaped by smartphones, ubiquitous connectivity, AI, and climate change.
- The invention of the camera led to the rise of modern art, as artists had to bring emotion and interpretation rather than just depicting reality.
- Contemporary art focuses on reflecting the present moment rather than reacting to technological changes.
- Ubiquitous access to information and learning is a game-changer that will accelerate cultural advancement in the current era.
- Climate change and its effects, particularly on coastal regions, will dominate conversations and be a significant threat in the current era, replacing past threats like nuclear war.
- We are entering a new cycle of modernity, and it's up to us to actively shape and define the 'new normal' rather than passively observing it.
- Ideas and innovations in the current era are coming from everywhere, as the culture we're discussing is now global.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Once you have a camera, there's really no economic need to paint things that you see, because we can take a picture of what you see cheaper and faster and more effectively than we can hire you to paint what you see.“ by Seth Godin
- “It means that for the first time in the history of the world, anyone who wants to learn something can learn it. That is a game changer, because the idea that we can learn ideas and get better at them faster and faster than ever, will change the pace that our culture advances.“ by Seth Godin
- “And the third factor is we are replacing mankind's desire to kill everybody else, whether it's with muskets in the civil war or nuclear weapons as a result of the cuban missile crisis, is going to be replaced by a different threat. And the new threat is the warming of the climate, the rising of sea levels, the melting of the glaciers, because one out of every five people on earth lives in a coastal region, a coastal region that even if you've got air conditioning and a place to hide from the change in temperature, you don't have a place to hide from the sea level.“ by Seth Godin
- “It's up to us to decide what the new normal is.“ by Seth Godin
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Episode Information
Akimbo: A Podcast from Seth Godin
Seth Godin
3/6/24
Culture matters
Akimbo is a weekly podcast created by Seth Godin. He's the bestselling author of 20 books and a long-time entrepreneur, freelancer and teacher.
You can find out more about Seth by reading his daily blog at seths.blog and about the podcast at akimbo.link.
To submit a question and to see the show notes, please visit akimbo.link and press the appropriate button.
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