[lbo-talk] Re: Instinct

[Wojtek Sokolowski]

Maria:
> any society.   And I think identity issues are so important in our
> culture right now because it's become so damn complex and difficult
> for the vast majority to survive in it, and it's getting worse every
> day.  Any shortcuts or shorthand for getting by with any kind of
> sense of agency, bring it!     *Picking* a label and wearing it is a
> great device to getting into the room, whatever that might be.

I think the opposite is true - because our society is so homogenized,
streamlines and rationalized, having an identity is a way of standing out in
the crowd, drawing attention and yelling "look at me, I am special."  That
is why the main thing in adopting an identity is its shock value for the
targeted audience - anything from dressing like a slut (not a big deal in
cosmopolitan New York, but shocking in a rural Podunk), to rap music, to
nazi insignia and uniforms, and yes, to radical views.   The more shocking,
the better because it draws more attention to the bearer.  Just like in any
other form of marketing.

Wojtek