Living Together

Living Together, Worlds Apart.

The image of two goldfish, each confined to its own wine glass, yet swimming side by side, believing they are together, serves as a powerful metaphor for the way we experience reality today. It captures not just the effect of social media algorithms but also deep psychological and intellectual tendencies that shape our perception of truth, knowledge, and human connection.

The Algorithmic Glass: Digital Fragmentation and Filter Bubbles

The way we consume information is increasingly dictated by algorithms, which function like invisible barriers, curating content that aligns with our past behaviors, interests, and biases. Eli Pariser’s concept of the filter bubble describes how digital platforms personalize our information diet, reinforcing our pre-existing beliefs while isolating us from alternative perspectives. Like the goldfish, we believe we are engaging in shared discussions when, in reality, we are confined within invisible ideological containers.

This effect is compounded by what Marshall McLuhan argued in Understanding Media: that the form of communication itself shapes human perception more than the content. Social media prioritizes engagement-driven content—what gets clicks, reactions, and shares—which often means emotionally charged, polarizing, or simplistic narratives gain traction over nuanced, fact-based discussions.

The Psychological Glass: Resistance to Challenging Truths

Beyond technology, human psychology itself resists confrontation with inconvenient truths. Cognitive dissonance theory explains how people tend to avoid, ignore, or rationalize information that contradicts deeply held beliefs. The more a narrative has been repeated throughout one’s life, the harder it becomes to accept contradictory evidence. Vilém Flusser warns that people do not perceive reality directly but instead through the mediated images and symbols they have grown accustomed to. We do not engage with reality but with its pre-packaged, culturally conditioned interpretations.

This phenomenon explains why certain discussions are nearly impossible to conduct rationally. When a person has lived for years within a particular narrative, new factual information—even if well-researched and scientifically valid—can feel more like an attack than an insight. Boris Groys describes how media does not simply inform but mediates reality, shaping subjective perception in ways that escape conscious awareness.

The Cultural Glass: The Emotional Triumph Over Facts

One of the most paradoxical aspects of modern discourse is that factual, scientific conversations often lose to emotional, story-driven arguments. Jürgen Habermas’ theory of the public sphere once envisioned a society where rational debate leads to consensus, but in the digital age, rationality often loses to emotion.

Social media, news, and even political discourse favor emotionally resonant stories over hard facts. A well-crafted anecdote, a compelling image, or a viral video will persuade far more effectively than a complex, fact-checked argument. Jean Baudrillard takes this further with his theory of hyperreality, where media no longer just represents reality but creates an alternative version of it one that is often more emotionally gripping than the truth itself. The result is a world where people do not just consume news; they consume a dramatized simulation of events, one that aligns with their biases and emotional needs.

A Society Trapped in the Glass: Where Do We Go From Here?

The goldfish metaphor extends beyond individuals to entire societies. Political movements, cultural identities, and belief systems are often built on emotionally compelling stories rather than factual accuracy. Yuval Noah Harari warns that humans are fundamentally storytelling creatures, meaning that narratives, rather than facts, drive history.

This raises profound questions:

• If emotional discourse consistently overrides factual discussion, can democracy function as intended?
• How can we create shared realities in an era where even truth has become privatized?
• Is it possible to step outside our ideological glasses, or are we forever confined within them?

Breaking the Glass: The Need for Further Research

These issues demand deeper exploration. If emotional discourse always wins over fact-based reasoning, what does that mean for science, politics, and public debate? Can we design media and educational systems that encourage intellectual openness rather than confirmation bias?

The goldfish, swimming together but forever apart, believe they share the same water. So do we, moving in parallel worlds, certain that we understand reality. But if we cannot touch the other side if facts cannot penetrate emotional barriers—how much of our togetherness is an illusion?