by Ethan Johnson
June 23, 2006

Dave Rogers recently wrote an amazing blog post about what he calls the Church of Web 2.0. Here is a small sample of his must-read screed:

Love is faith in action. It is the first derivative of faith. Our love of technology is rooted in our faith in the power of tools to shape the world. But tools don't shape the world that needs to change, and all the technology needed to effect that lies between your ears.

I agree with Dave wholeheartedly, and I have some thoughts to add.

I have been musing over the symbolic aspects of physical reality, and how we perpetuate and respond to this symbolism. Dave's post resonated with me in that this "Church", as Dave asserts, assigns a high value to (in this case) tools, which are believed to bring about positive changes both for the individual and for the collective. The alignment of symbols to perceived benefits is a key factor. For example, there is the belief that one cannot successuly market a product or service without a blog. There is another belief that "good things" will happen if one secures a place on a particular "top 100" list. There is power in these beliefs, especially for the believers. Good things will not happen, then, until this person cracks into the Top 100.

I read recently that a new online store has been created that sells t-shirts that declare "yoga" to be "bullshit and you know it." Thus, it is, for some. For others, yoga is a perfectly sensible option and such-and-such benefits are received from it. The common thread is the belief that (in this case) yoga is or is not beneficial. Perhaps thinking "happy thoughts" is what is really providing the benefits, not the act of yoga. But symbolically, the yoga was an important catalyst to bring about the happy thoughts. Another form of this symbolic response is to be repulsed by the cheesy yoga mats and meditation CDs for sale at the bed and bath store, and instead believe that "true" yoga can only be taught by an Indian Yogi. For this person, this will be true because the act aligns with the belief.

Thus, the title of this article. Faith takes the form of believing that a symbolic alignment will bring about a desired end result, and the works come in the form of achieving that alignment.

AA believes that going to Church brings AA "closer to God." AA maintains a sense of spiritual well-being through this act of attending church services. BB believes that nobody will take BB seriously as a "power player" unless BB drives an expensive sports car. BB buys or leases an expensive car, and exudes the necessary confidence to be perceived as a "power player". In either case, the end result was achievable without the symbolic act or association, but the symbolic element was a strong catalyst to drive it. This is the crux of Dave's argument.

In this way we are faced with two lines of thought:

1. The market for something to believe in is infinite.
2. The human capacity for self-delusion is infinite.

As for point 1, this is what marketers of all stripes are hoping to capitalize on. [Product] will make you [popular, sexy, smart, rich, thin]. You can't achieve this without [product]. The school of thought regarding "help your customers kick ass" is in alignment with this approach. Faith: [Product] will help you "kick ass". Works: You "kick ass" using the product as a catalyst. Faith: Validated.

As for point 2, this is what cults, shysters, and yes, marketers of all stripes are hoping to capitalize on. [Product] is the only way to [happiness, enlightenment, truth, beauty, love]. Faith: [Opposite sex] will flock to me if I use [product]. Works: Product is used, opposite sex does not flock to the user, user rationalizes why this didn't work, user buys "bolt on" products and services to compensate. Faith: Shaken, sometimes to the point of crisis, or validated, if cause/effect is perceived regardless of validity. The "delusion" aspect is important in that you're not putting faith in yourself as such, but investing the entire outcome into the [product]. Doomsday cults are a good example of this, as when the "big day" comes and goes without incident, either your faith is shaken to the core and the cult is exposed as a fraud, or self-delusion takes over and the reasons for being spared death and destruction are rationalized away, and faith is strengthened.

Religious groups that believe in the "second coming" or "judgement day" also fit neatly into that category. Such events have been moving targets for centuries, if not millennia. The faith persists. Also note that more intangible events such as divine judgement are reserved for the equally intangible afterlife, dispelling the need for tangible proof.

I was watching some programming on HGTV recently and I noted that much of what is "sold" on that network is grounded in either faith or self-delusion. For example, countless homeowners claim that remodeling their backyard will ultimately mean that they can "have parties." My question: Do these homeowners currently have parties? Have they ever? I am not ruling out the possibility, but it seems to me that such claims are more grounded in desire than in providing a tangible benefit. If I were planning a party and needed seating for 10, I would gather up enough chairs and make it so. But the HGTV approach is to design a living space with seating for 10, which now means you have "have parties" with 8 or 9 guests.

Of course, I am not immune from this sort of thinking. I once received a salad bowl set as a gift and was thrilled with the quality, and stoked my desire to "entertain". Never mind that I didn't know how to cook and especially wasn't known for making salads. Plus I never "entertained" anyway, living in a small apartment. More recently, I was thinking about buying a soccer ball to kick around to motivate me to exercise more. Unlike the treadmill (which we currently have and is indoors in the air-conditioned house), I reasoned that the soccer ball would provide an extra motivational boost as it gives me a target to follow. Kick, chase, kick, chase. The treadmill is "just" a bunch of stationary walking. Of course, kicking around a soccer ball means going outside in the brutal Texas heat. Yeah, that's me!

(Parenthetically, I did not buy the treadmill, therefore I don't have the necessary symbolic investment in its perceived effectiveness as an exercise tool.)

To close, I will echo Dave's sentiments: When will we take the time to know ourselves? If we aren't engaging in a positive practice, what will provide the necessary spark? Symbolic catalysts aren't all bad, but I think the real danger comes when we put too much stock in the symbol and ignore the underlying truth: Things got better because you were inspired to make them better.

Thanks, Dave, for the spark. <EM>