Source: 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 mistakenly regarded as culture itself.

The community is losing its way, losing true identity. We have replaced deep mutual understanding with shallow signals of belonging.

This phenomenon, which was once just a 'minor issue' 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' to me (good morning). I am not your 'fren' (friend) either.

When people blindly mimic certain behavioral patterns just to show a sense of belonging, it disgusts me. These behaviors are merely hollow substitutes for genuine interpersonal relationships.

While I don’t want to give too much positive evaluation to this behavior, the underlying subconscious motivation is 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 monopolies, but has now devolved into an echo chamber of fabricated reality.

The original spirit of the crypto circle has not only been diluted but has even been replaced by its own 'virtual replicas.'

Today's crypto circle is no longer a true community; it is a desperate attempt to piece together identity in an increasingly meaningless world. Ironically, as the levels of abstraction increase, this sense of identity becomes more and more insincere.

Do you remember that the word 'crypto' comes from 'cryptography'? Or has today's memes completely replaced substantive content?

In the best case, you are just a 'useful fool'; in the worst case, you are merely a 'liquidity outlet' being exploited.

However, the crypto circle is just a microcosm of the entire world. This phenomenon extends far beyond that.

In every aspect of modern life, we can see the same process: authentic cultural elements are discovered, commodified, and then mass-produced until they are completely disconnected from their original meaning.

Whether it's gambling culture (Gamblecore), meme tokens, or exit polls—these are all just manifestations of the same pathology. Humans are indoctrinated with packaged viewpoints, trapped in echo chambers, and gradually lose the motivation to explore more possibilities.

And why do you allow this situation to occur? Because it fills your inner void—you have no culture.

Human connection

Humans need connection. However, this is a paradox of contemporary society: in an instant and highly interconnected age, we experience an overflow of superficial relationships.

It is easy to criticize those 'herd behavior' actions—like the daily 'gm' greetings, recycled memes, and those hollow interactions. But behind these actions lies a deeper truth: humans crave connection, and in the absence of real connections, we may even accept a poor imitation of a community.

We take pride in 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 issue is that in the scientific community, we neither value nor allow people to meet their emotional needs without negating their arguments.

We are emotional beings, trying to find direction in an increasingly abstract world.

The less we acknowledge this fact, the shallower our society will become.

When we pursue 'pure facts' at the expense of emotional connections between humans, this need does not disappear—it just gets suppressed and ultimately manifests 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 while embracing genuine emotions. Otherwise, we will continue to waste time on the absurd phenomena of the present.

Immune system

In addition to obvious symptoms, this 'cultural disease' has some malicious propagators.

It is a thought-provoking phenomenon that those who have not become victims but rather profit from these environments exist. We find that a society lacking in emotion not only accepts a person 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 build trust has significantly changed in recent years.

People can not only manipulate current public opinion but also rewrite history in public perception and easily escape punishment—by catering to human emotional needs rather than intellectual ones.

This illustrates just how strong our desire for connection is. Identifying those who exploit our emotions is the first step toward societal revival. It is truly disheartening to see these individuals rise so quickly.

Do not compromise with those who despise you, enslave you, and control your life—telling you what to do, what to think, and what to feel.

The real tragedy lies not only in the emptiness of these behaviors; it also obstructs the formation of authentic culture. As long as you participate, even if only by tacitly accepting its existence, this 'cultural disease' will continue to spread.

A person must take pride in their culture. However, this has never been an easy task.

True culture arises from shared values, and these values are not just superficial identifications. Authentic culture is built on principles that guide and constrain our decisions.

When we accept those superficial cultural substitutes, we are not only weakening the cohesion of the community—we are also sacrificing the possibility of creating anything meaningful.

Some people mistakenly believe that everyone has the right to express their opinions. This is not true. If you cannot clearly articulate the beliefs you hold, then you cannot claim they belong to you at all. If you only have slogans and hollow viewpoints—you do not deserve attention.

The interaction with short videos and fragmented content only exacerbates this problem. Do not mistake it for something else; it is merely a marketing tool.

Please remember that 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, not repeatedly lowered. Wavering standards only leave us stagnant while allowing those who seek to exploit us to profit.

  • We should encourage those who dare to explore, debate, and maintain rational thinking, but we must also be wary of treating rationality as the only truth.

  • We cannot tolerate degenerate behaviors; we should also hold a critical attitude towards those who condone degeneration.

  • Do not easily accept those seemingly tailor-made viewpoints that are merely designed to cater to your emotions. Be wary of those who exploit your emotions for personal gain.

  • Chasing values themselves is not something to be admired, nor does it bring true satisfaction.

  • Everyone should take pride in their ability to think independently and understand.

  • Stand confidently with like-minded people and collectively defend our culture and values.

  • This article is reprinted with permission from: (Deep Tide TechFlow)

  • Original author: Kualta

'Don't say GM to me! A brief discussion on the 'hollowness phenomenon' in the crypto community: cultural disease is spreading.' This article was first published in 'Crypto City.'