# Where Pictures Take Us By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-07-16 We often take pictures to remember a moment in time. Years later, these pictures jog our memories, and in some small way, we relive the experience. However, some have pointed out that taking these pictures at the moment spoils the full-in-the-moment experience. Indeed, some are obsessed with taking photos rather than enjoying the moment. With modern cameras and smartphones, capturing a decent photograph is pretty easy if one wants a token to remember the moment. So, those obsessed are likely artists or paid photographers intentionally missing the moment, or they are individuals thinking more about leveraging the photos to elevate their status via social media posts. How one engages with pictures and moments is entirely up to them. There is no value judgment. There are countless examples where some of the greatest works of art and monuments from antiquity are doing the same thing as a selfie post on social media or quickly snapping a photo to remember a moment. What is a statue in the town square doing there? It's a reminder of a person or event in time. It's no different from snapping a photo. Some view the exponential explosion of pictures and videos as a bad thing as they are new, and new things tend to scare populations of people. But the progress it represents is significant in extending our limited human abilities. Where before only the elite could capture moments, now nearly everyone can capture moments that otherwise would fad with our memories. The amount of information and logging about one's life has never been greater, and our biology cannot keep up, but one of our superpowers is being able to extend beyond our biology. Viewing this as an abomination limits our potential, but going too far means one may lose their grip on reality. As we extend further beyond ourselves, so too will our idea of reality. What it means to exist may be the next significant evolution in societal consciousness. Gone is the individual. Arriving is the interconnected dividual. #### Related Items [[Pictures]] [[Memory]] [[Time]] [[Society]] [[Individuals]] [[Progress]] [[Conservative]] [[Art]]