The Forgotten Art of Being Ordinary A Human Manifesto in the Age of the Metaverse

by Casciotta, CJ; McLuhan, Andrew

• ISBN13: 9781637743171
• ISBN10: 1637743173
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2023-09-12
• Publisher: Matt Holt

Summary

The future of our society will depend on the choices we make right now when it comes to media—how we consume it and communicate with each other through it. It’s a crisis as serious as climate change, yet far fewer people are talking about it.

In The Forgotten Art of Being Ordinary, CJ Casciotta is determined to change that.

For more than a decade, we’ve let corporations convince us to project branded versions of ourselves while murmurings of a forthcoming “Meta-verse” further the idea that we can flourish completely detached from our bodies. These shifts are coming at an incredible psychological and societal cost. We know it, but what can we do? 

Writer and media maker CJ Casciotta has a bold case to make: Perhaps the most important thing we can do to survive in the twenty-first century happens to also be the most counterintuitive. Perhaps it’s time we relearned the forgotten art of being ordinary. 

In his follow up to Get Weird, Casciotta outlines nine beatitudes for living in this unrivaled age, charting a new path forward for those tired of feeling like their devices own them and their loved ones, and helps rewrite the narrative for anyone concerned about where this is all heading. 

In a world emerging from a plague and approaching an uncertain cultural future, we’re due for a renaissance . . .one that can only be led by ordinary human beings.

Author Biography

CJ Casciotta is a writer, media producer, and creative strategist. Seen by many as a trusted voice on 21st century cultural shifts, he’s consulted and developed campaigns for presidential candidates, IPOs, startups, and Fortune 500s alike, partnering with companies like MGM Studios, Delta Airlines, Sesame Street, Lululemon, and The United Nations Foundation. As a media producer, he's collaborated on projects with leading culture-makers like Ira Glass of This American Life, Seth Godin, and FoodNetwork's Maneet Chauhan. A sought after communicator and TEDx alumnus, he’s traveled globally speaking to creative professionals at venues like Creative Mornings, Charity:Water, and STORY. In addition, CJ's work has been featured by Forbes, Salon, CBS, MTV, and TechCrunch.