Agalia Tan

Find another register of enjoyment

Life is so dull if it’s just “like” or “dislike.” Maybe the movie is riveting but you still hate it. Can you find “begrudging enjoyment?” You simply do not understand the outfit of that kid on the subway. Can you locate “would be compelling to someone who is not me”? How do you feel about the song that represents... See more

I think of scenes as very loose organizations of people associated with the creative process with a very loose but omnipotent hierarchy that can sometimes change from minute to minute.1

The thing that makes people most uncomfortable about scenes socially, is how they subject everyone involved to think about their social standing. I’ve got bad news... See more

well-arranged words rearrange reality.

It also means that increasingly the real value or trick won’t be in blowing up, though of course, it will only get harder and harder to do so as we continue to exponentially increase our output of content, but rather in holding on to the 15 seconds of fame once we have it.

Chase your desired lifestyle, not your desired title. People are blinded by status and labels. Once you release the need for a specific title, there is almost always an easier path to living your preferred lifestyle.

“How can you believe in anything when everything around you is changing so fast?”

—Peter Pomerantsev, Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible

It becomes something of a Faustian bargain, because our online habits and behaviors are carrion for tech vultures. As we scroll, they feast