Everyone knows this Hans Christian Andersen parable. A vain emperor is hoodwinked by conmen who pretend to create a new suit for him. No one is willing to question the hoax for fear of appearing stupid or ignorant. The emperor proudly models his new outfit to his subjects, who are similarly reluctant to appear unsophisticated or uncultured, or even worse, to provoke the wrath of their emperor. Finally, a young child calls out: “The emperor has no clothes!”
There are multiple themes and interpretations associated with this story but I love this simple parable because it illustrates how conformity, a herd-instinct and a fear of appearing ignorant have such a powerful influence on our culture. The examples are everywhere: movies, music, technology, fashion, sports.
I have watched numerous movies that have been heralded by critics and thought to myself ‘how can this possibly be acclaimed’? I have gazed at some pieces of modern art (granted, I am no connoisseur . . .) and smiled at the sheer absurdity of praising these works. I have listened to rock, pop, rap and hip-hop songs that have childish lyrics and simplistic musical themes and marveled at the serious analyses that music critics will undertake as a means to provide a veneer of sophistication for them.
Technology and financial trends are also areas that attract lemming-like sycophants who desperately want to appear savvy and in-the-know about the latest innovations and breathlessly endorse them regardless of how truly revolutionary they may be. The giddy hyperbole greeting the appearance of chatGPT and crypto are perfect examples.
And perhaps the silliest of all these areas of conformity and slavish adherence to the popular is the fashion industry. We jettison mounds of apparel each year and purchase brand new items to replace them because the newest trends have been paraded before us.
The irony is that the herd instinct in all of these areas becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy in the most fundamental and powerful way of all – money! Our conformity guarantees the financial success of these ventures. We flock to the stores, the theaters, the art shows, the concerts; we stream the videos and purchase the crypto and meme stocks; we devote hours to mind-numbing social media and video games.
How many of them truly deserve the success they obtain? Of course, there are many things in this world that are incredibly creative and worthy of our awe and praise. And not everyone has the same taste or interests. But too often we allow ourselves to be herded into an echo chamber rather than make our own honest and careful evaluation of the world around us. We should have the agency and the courage, when appropriate, to be the one who calls out ‘The Emperor Has No Clothes’!
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