“All tribes unite at the Godhead and then walk away with their differing tribal missions: that is the aim of the 21st century, to achieve that realization and walk from the whole toward infinite fracturing into communities that reflect what its members actually believe. It is the only way to purge ourselves of guilt and bad conscience and alienation. It is the only way. No Kant nor Hegel nor Enlightenment nor Christ will descend and unify all. The subjective world of black identity cannot be touched by ‘universal reason’. The same is true of ‘white identity’. Fracture, be cast as seeds and plant yourselves, you scattered tribes of the digital world. […] One cannot unite Alabama and Massachusetts, how will one unite Iraq and England? Never. The mistake of imperialism is the mistake of extrapolating your own fragmented angel or tribe onto others. It won’t work, because everybody is their own galaxy. Stay in yours. Malcolm X was right. Be inspired by your own vision for your like-minded souls, and none other. Not everyone will understand. Religious people should know this by now – and atheists too. […] Stop trying to make other people believe what you believe, and just create what you believe. That which you seek, seeks you.”

I recently stumbled upon Alexander Blum’s blog, a writer who discuses politics, mysticism and fiction in his writings. I initially discovered the blog through Alexander’s very interesting critique of controversial clinical psychologist, Jordan Peterson, but began reading some more of the essays on the site. The passage above comes from Alexander’s essay titled Tribal, Pre-Literate Society is Returning and There is Nothing You Can Do About It, in which Blum riffs on the ideas of on of my favorite thinkers, Marshall McLuhan.

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Painting above by Daniel Barreto

Tags:alexander blumdigital cultureMarshal McLuhanmediatechnologytribal culture