Just an hour into the
wild woods, and I’m ‘struck anew by invisibility’, says Busch - Akiko Busch,
renowned nature writer, famous especially for her book titled, How to Disappear: Notes on Invisibility in a Time of
Transparency.
Well, personally, it took me a full
fortnight to be delightfully done with this 200-page unputdownable read! And like Eliot, I
would set out again, yet again, on yet another voyage of sorts, into the pages of this book for yet
another joy ride of sorts! ;-)
Such-much is her appeal! such-much her charm - in every word and every line of her insightful ruminations in this delightful, compact read!
The normalizing of pathological
narcissism in 20th-century culture, has resulted in a crisis of perspectives in
people, which makes them feel that, ‘success in our society has to be ratified
by publicity’ and that, ‘our lives can be measured by how we are seen
rather than what we do’.
Quoting from Egan’s
2001 novel titled, Look at Me, she
says that, the central character in the novel desperately feels that, ‘Being
observed felt like an action, the central action - the only one worth taking.
Anything else I might attempt seemed passive, futile by comparison’.
But Akiko begs to
differ! This false sense of projecting one’s better self on the public domain
is a psychological condition that’s symptom of a larger malaise, she says!
She adds to say that,
‘When identity is derived from projecting an image in the public realm,
something is lost, some core of identity diluted, some sense of authority or
interiority sacrificed’.
Some of her thoughts are real jolts and bolts from the blue, that can spur you to action, and to practice the art of disappearing as fast as could be!
Contemporary
interactions and exchanges over the phone might have a particular kind of ‘joylessness’
to it, avers Akiko!
Moreover, when the private self
is offered for public consumption, there is a huge devaluation of the interior
self, she opines!
Says Akiko –
The phenomenon of
Facebook depression, one result of this ceaseless exposure, refers to the
anxiety induced by social comparisons and the feeling of being less attractive
or accomplished than other users. But it also alludes to the more general
disquiet that comes with relinquishing - unreservedly and unconditionally - the
personal information that is key to retaining a sense of identity.
There are also antidotes [that double up as
therapy] to the inconspicuous life, in going unseen, undetected, or even
overlooked in this new world, she quips!
And these antidotes are the invisible friends whom we have all along ignored in our lives, she says!
Says Akiko –
Invisible friends are
today recognized as more treasured consorts. Arriving in the shape of humans,
animals, fish, clouds, trees, or some other fantasy form altogether, they can
teach empathy, invention, compassion, and comfort, she adds.
So yup! Akiko’s
premise is quite simple –
Becoming invisible is
not the equivalent of being nonexistent. It is not about denying creative
individualism nor about relinquishing any of the qualities that may make us
unique, original, singular...
Camouflage in the natural
world is not some exotic and picturesque trait. It is nuanced, creative,
sensitive, discerning. Above all, it is powerful.
Sadly, ‘We are
captives of the information age. The perpetual exchange of data - whether
through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, or Pinterest - is now part of
ordinary life. Where there was once the evening news, there is now the
twenty-four-hour news cycle!’, says Akiko.
And hence it is that
great minds all over the world, find an appeal in anonymity she says!
To conclude, this book
is a must read for anyone who’s interested in celebrating their own personal
space on incognito mode!
In other words, Akiko’s
book vouches to the fact that, there’s power in being unseen and invisible! And
this disappearance helps one to emerge a ‘transformed’ being, ‘with new hope
for the possibility of a surer, quieter, more humane way of being’!
Well, folks! Are you
ready to go incognito!!!? ;-)
If yes, ping me
rightaway! You’ve got company!!
No comments:
Post a Comment