I still feel like I have a lot to learn in the realm of sound experimentation, and I think I would like things to get noisier and weirder and more distressed and more aggressive, but I don't know if that's something that would be suitable for public consumption.
I feel like the Internet needs to be disarmed in some way. There needs to be a philosophical undermining of the Internet. We take it too seriously and too literally. For a reference we go to Wikipedia, which is full of inaccuracies and misinformation. It's kind of beautiful - it's all the product of imagination; it's not reality at all.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that we need to approach the Internet with a more critical and less literal mindset.
Sufjan Stevens expresses a concern about society's serious and literal interpretation of the Internet, advocating for a philosophical reevaluation of its impact. He highlights the inaccuracies present in sources like Wikipedia, suggesting that while the Internet may be a beautiful product of human imagination, it should not be mistaken for an ultimate reality. This reflection calls for a more nuanced understanding of online information and its role in shaping perceptions.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on digital literacy, I might quote Stevens to highlight the need for critical thinking online.
More from Sufjan Stevens
All quotes →I believe that music is a spiritual language. My everyday self is pretty mundane and boring, but when I'm making music it allows for me to communicate a kind of transcendence that I can't communicate otherwise.
Every time Jimmy Scott sings, it's the same but slightly different. I don't know how he does that or where he gets that from. I think it's instinct. Nothing he does is by chance; he's in complete control of what he's doing. He's just beautiful and unique.
Musicians are often asked to answer for an entire culture, or for an entire movement. It's a process of commodification. It becomes packaged and summarized in a word like 'emo' or 'grunge'... or 'folk music.' I think that's just language itself, trying to understand the mysteries of the world.
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