Normalisation

By solle on 16/09/2014 — 1 min read

How do we care through the prism of the constant (rampant) normalisation of things?

We have normalised being outraged. We have normalised the expectation of everyone’s consultancy. Being outraged is part of a normalisation programme of weekly participation. It is controlled and relatively clean and is most often kept to activity channeled through technology where it is safe to show horror <> disgust <> anger <> anguish <> virtual hand wringing without getting either one’s feet wet or one’s hands (too) dirty.

Always a good view but never too close that it prevents us pulling the plug and ensuring that yes, for us, everything is ok.

We are not particularly fearful, we have just developed platforms to keep us a safe distance from harm.

We are far more prone to criticise others, become impatient, ridicule, laugh, cut down, scathe in this near > past future > present of connectedness and interruption/ON and shallow attention. With such a view in on the lives of others we know so much more about our friends, neighbours, enemies where ridicule, impatience and spite knows no bounds.

(And if we aren’t being horrible we are likely to be heaping unbridled glory and sycophancy upon anything we reckon on and want an association with.)

We need to work harder. We need to be stronger. Show more leniency, fortitude, patience and understanding and remember the reflection the reflections cast across us.

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I am a user centred design leader working across senior design leadership teams and user centred design operations. I work across a wide range of digital services within the public, private and not for profit sectors.