In Defence of Invisibility
We all appear to notice everyone and everything, yet it is too easy to become invisible.
Image Credit: Roger Starnes on Unsplash
The affable persona comes easily to some, extending from words and glances to social graces that warm the spaces between us. This visibility serves as the ultimate version of what we will name the ideal human. If we were to walk past a perfect person, would we extend an arm carrying the experience of familiarity and exclaim, “This fellow is perfect.”
We describe perfection as visibility—a knowledge of what we recognise. Thus, one has to be visible to be pronounced as near perfect. Without this awareness, any other person is invisible and full of flaws.
There exists a pressing desire to be the most visible in the room because we believe visibility brings rewards. The invisible person is easily forgotten, their name never uttered when decisions come to life. Indeed, there is irony in the nebulous connection of our digital age; invisibility has become the panacea.
What do we work for?
The puritan principle dissuades the notion that we primarily work for money. In today’s capitalistic haven, this maxim faces a war of attrition. Work brings satisfaction to the restless soul, and fulfilment blooms when we become tethered to the labour of our hands. Some of us progress through disparate jobs with a thirst for higher income, and upon reaching a zenith, we seek work that encapsulates satisfaction.
In our society, where one caters for multiple mouths, we work to remain visible in their eyes. The individual with money is heard, respected, and even deemed wise. You might be prone to the belief that this approbation of wealth exists due to the nation’s economic state, but it is false. There is ease in ascribing blame to the country than in facing the reality that the individuals with hefty pockets are deified.
We work because it is true that we must do the right thing. It is the primal nature of ours to frown upon idleness, and in our evolution, we designed systems to extract infinite value from labour. We speak to one another on devices because network towers are maintained, and these towers, which represent a fairly new invention in the long history of the human race, have become essential; hence, their maintenance is right.
The digital blight and false circles
The conspicuity awash on social media births false connections. Unwillingly, we have become invisible by showing glimpses curated to portray distinct images to people. I cannot claim to know the hundreds of friends on social media by viewing posts that give updates about their lives—I am merely a member of the audience.
With age, I have come to acknowledge that relationships require incessant care to remain upheld. The occasional text and comment do not keep you afloat. We are nosy creatures with social cultures, and we want to be aware of the lives of others—observe their growth and even exclaim at their mishaps.
The digital blight depicts invisibility as visibility; loneliness as companionship; meanness as gregariousness. Nothing replaces the real-time awareness of speaking to a person kilometres away or a face-to-face meeting where distance does not exist. In these moments, you see and hear people for who they are and in a way, their mystery is less elusive. Alas, you discover that we are all ordinary.
Loud rooms
It is in our nature to seek conspicuity. We want rooms to acknowledge our presence and listen when we speak. This battle of wills enshrouds the calmest voices and uplifts those who dare seize the stage. Nonetheless, I believe each person stands on a dais with a light set to beam their mettle.
We say a person is good because they radiate a creed that puts calumnies to the boot. We can say a person is quiet because we do not hear them over the incessant hubbub we create out of a simple desire to seek success in our avaricious markets. In defending the unheard voices who maintain the limbs of the machine, we will find fulfilment in the work of our hands. It remains our role to seek and uplift good work in all forms that arise. If you strive for visibility, do not lose yourself in the clamour of the room.