Author: Kualta.
Compiled by: Deep Tide TechFlow.
Thank you.
Special thanks to Stratus and Snats for their meticulous proofreading of this article.
Preface.
Whether in the crypto community or other groups, people have long been accustomed to creating a false sense of unity through superficial signals rather than based on shared values or goals.
Once, memes were tools for spreading culture, but now they are mistaken for culture itself.
The community is losing its direction and has lost its true identity. We have replaced deep mutual understanding with shallow signals of belonging.
This phenomenon, which was originally just a "small problem" within the crypto circle, has now spread to a broader society, and it can even be said that this pathology has reached an "incurable" stage.
You have no culture.
Don't say "gm" (good morning) to me. I'm not your "fren" (friend) either.
When people blindly imitate certain behavioral patterns merely to display a sense of belonging, I find this behavior disgusting. These actions are just hollow substitutes for real interpersonal relationships.
Although I don't want to give too much positive evaluation to this behavior, the subconscious motive behind it is very simple: to commodify everything, even the sense of belonging.
The crypto circle is a typical case of cultural decline. It was originally a revolution based on principles of security, decentralization, and resistance to corporate monopoly, but now it has degenerated into an echo chamber that fakes authenticity.
The original spirit of the crypto circle has not only been diluted but has also been replaced by its own "virtual replicas."
Today's crypto circle is no longer a real community but a desperate attempt to piece together identity in an increasingly meaningless world. Ironically, as the levels of abstraction increase, this sense of identity seems increasingly hypocritical.
Do you remember that the word "cryptography" comes from "cryptography (Cryptography)"? Or has today's meme completely replaced substantive content?
At best, you are just a 'useful fool'; at worst, you are merely a 'liquidity exit' being exploited.
However, the crypto circle is just a microcosm of the entire world. This phenomenon is far from limited to this.
In every aspect of modern life, we can see the same process: real cultural elements are discovered, commodified, and then mass-produced until they are completely detached from their original meaning.
Whether it's gambling culture (Gamblecore), meme tokens, or exit polls — these are just manifestations of the same pathology. Humans are fed packaged viewpoints, trapped in echo chambers, gradually losing the motivation to explore more possibilities.
And why would you allow this to happen? Because it fills the void within you — you have no culture.
Human connection.
Humans need connection. However, this is a paradox of contemporary society: in an instant and highly interconnected era, we are experiencing an overflow of superficial relationships.
It's easy to criticize those 'herd behavior' actions — like the daily 'gm' greetings, recycled memes, and those hollow interactions. But behind these behaviors lies a deeper truth: humans crave connection, and in the absence of true connections, we even accept a poor imitation of a community.
We pride ourselves on scientific discussion and rational debate. We hope to engage in fact-based discussions and logical reasoning. However, people spend millions of hours on social media expressing opinions and seeking validation. Why is that?
Setting aside those addictive platforms and algorithms, the core of the problem lies in: within the scientific community, we neither value nor allow people to satisfy their emotional needs without negating their arguments.
We are emotional beings trying to find direction in an increasingly abstract world.
The more we deny this fact, the shallower our society will become.
When we neglect emotional connections between humans in pursuit of 'pure facts,' this need does not disappear — it is only suppressed and will eventually manifest in distorted forms. The popularity of meme culture is not the root of the problem but a manifestation of our failure to meet this basic human need.
Humans need connection. We need communities that can accommodate rigorous thinking and genuine emotions. Otherwise, we will continue to waste time in this absurd phenomenon.
Immune system.
Besides the obvious symptoms, this "cultural disease" has some malicious disseminators.
Those who have not become victims, but instead profit from these circumstances, are a thought-provoking phenomenon. We find that a society lacking in emotion not only accepts someone completely detached from reality but willingly follows them.
If you haven't been paying attention to politics (that's a good thing), the way people establish trust has changed significantly in recent years.
People can not only manipulate current public opinion but also rewrite history in public perception and easily escape punishment — they just need to cater to human emotional needs instead of intellectual ones.
This illustrates how strong our desire for connection is. Identifying those who exploit our emotions is the first step toward societal revival. It is truly painful to see these individuals rise so quickly.
Those who despise you, enslave you, control your life, tell you what to do, what to think, and what to feel — do not compromise with them.
The real tragedy lies not only in the hollowness of these actions; it also lies in their obstruction of real culture formation. As long as you participate, even if only by tacitly allowing its existence, this 'cultural disease' will continue to spread.
One must be proud of their culture. However, this has never been an easy thing.
True culture stems from shared values, and these values are not just superficial identifications. Real culture is built on principles that guide and constrain our decision-making.
When we accept those shallow cultural substitutes, we not only weaken the cohesion of the community — we also sacrifice the possibility of creating anything meaningful.
Some mistakenly believe that everyone has the right to express their opinions. This is not true. If you cannot clearly express the beliefs you uphold, then you cannot claim they belong to you. If you only have slogans and hollow viewpoints — you do not deserve attention.
The interaction of short videos and fragmented content only exacerbates this problem. Don't mistake it for something else; it is merely a marketing tool.
Remember, what distinguishes humans from animals is our ability to create and protect our culture.
If a person has no culture, I cannot respect them.
Key points.
Our cultural standards need to be continuously elevated rather than repeatedly lowered. Wavering standards will only keep us stagnant while allowing those who seek to exploit us to profit.
We should encourage those who are brave enough to explore, willing to debate, and maintain rational thinking, but we must also be wary of those who consider reason as the only truth.
We cannot tolerate degenerate behavior; we should also hold a critical attitude toward those who indulge in degeneration.
Do not easily accept those seemingly tailor-made viewpoints that only cater to your emotions. Also, be wary of those who exploit your emotions for their own gain.
Chasing value itself is not worthy of admiration and cannot bring true satisfaction.
Everyone should be proud of their independent thinking and understanding abilities.
Stand confidently with like-minded people and jointly defend our culture and values.