October 1, 2004
intense longing
From now on if anyone asks me why say, Apple or Harley Davidson are such great brands, all I have to do is show them this drawing.
And of course, if anyone asks me why their brand isn't so hot, again, all I have to do is show them this drawing.
Like I've said before... it's so frickin' obvious.
Heh.
[UPDATE:] Just added the drawing to The Hughtrain.
The Hughtrain is starting to gel. Wondering whether to expand it into a book or not. Maybe just incorporate it into the book I'm already writing. Not sure yet. Watch this space.
Posted by hugh macleod at October 1, 2004 11:04 AM | TrackBackHaving a problem with this one. When you get to the 'closer to God' qualities of a Harley or Apple, IMO any product in the category could provide more or less the same thing.
A Harley gives you the open road where you can experience more of 'God'. But so do Suzukis.
Are you implying that the experience in using the product delivers 'the rapture'? Which would make more sense to me. Maybe that's just splitting hairs, but I'm neither an Apple user nor motorcycle enthusiast. Just an agnostic.
I don't know, but there is just something about using a particular brand of product that is unexplainable, especially to those who do not use that brand. This definitely comes close to explaining that.
Posted by: Ryan Heaney at October 1, 2004 5:02 PMWell, as both a Mac enthusiast and motorcycle rider (I don't have a Harley - yet! Soon, I hope!), I can tell you that some of us can't even explain what it is. The word that comes closest for me is 'resonance' -- there's something about each of these brands that just 'resonates' with me. I can 'feel' it.
I've never owned a Windows PC (I have had to use one for work), and I've wanted a Harley since I learned how to ride. Why? Just because it 'feels' right.
Posted by: Scott M at October 1, 2004 5:54 PMDon't you mean empathize or empathise, not emphathise? There's no "emphathise" in my dictionary.
Posted by: Dan Winkler at October 2, 2004 2:23 AMHmmm, why do I find it easier to write "fuck" in my blog than "God"? Anyway, I think I don't want to offend any atheists as I can certainly empathize with them. Most of us are pretty attached to our God-concept (non-belief is also a God-concept) which differs from person to person so that the word "God" is almost meaningless.
"To a calf God is a cow." - Rumi
I've been thinking on how to work these two quotes into a post, but here's a good home for them:
On The Four Agreements" book's popularity (barely any marketing on this best-seller, and Miguel is a "walk the talk" amazing person):
"'The Four Agreements' took people on a journey into themselves, their true selves. This is what everyone is looking for, whether they are aware of it or not. They are looking for the source of themselves." - Miguel Ruiz
On incessant beliefs of UFO "abductees":
"What are they yearning for at the thought of something extraterrestrial? Why, they want something bigger than themselves. They want to know that, in the entire, wild, extraordinary Kosmos, there is something other than their meager egos." - Ken Wilbur
Damn. You're right, Dan. Will have to fix it.
Agreed, Evelyn... also "God" is like the word "brand". Both are metaphors.
Posted by: hugh macleod at October 2, 2004 10:09 AMwow hugh,
that piece of work actually materialized what i had in mind for quite a while but could not put into words.
its not just a brand .. or god. another way of putting it would be "man always has a tendency for the infinite" since he lives a finite life.
Posted by: jayvee f. at October 3, 2004 1:44 PMHey Hugh,
I think the idea is that the brand just makes us look enough like everyone else that the intense longing is referred to and hidden at the same time. The place of intense longing is an uniquely obscure place.
Side note: how can a brand "empathize"? Does the object become the feeling, i.e., my iBook is the (object of) longing itself or does the thought of Apple (the Apple brand) resemble closely my intense longing? I am truly curious.
Thanks,
Jodi