Joseph TASNADI

Vanityssimo

Vanitas Vanitaum Omnia Vanitas.
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
Here today, gone tomorrow.

Vanity – the conflict between sameness and otherness.
Vanity – hiding the harshness of reality behind the illusion of optimism.
Vanity – the existential dilemma of self-identity and self-disparity.
Vanity – an expedient tool to deny reality.

Our vanity always fails us.
Technology always reveals something about human vanity.
We often take speculation to science.
We often take computation for thinking.
Consciousness is not a matter of algorithms and computation.

The critique of pure vanity.
The critique of pure optimism.
The critique of pure ambition.
The critique of pure hubris.
The critique of pure objectivity.
The critique of pure meaning.
The critique of pure intelligence.
The critique of pure success.
The critique of pure control.
The critique of pure happiness.
The critique of pure influence.

The critique of the pure celebration of humanity.
The critique of the pure celebration of reason.
The critique of the pure celebration of progress.
The critique of the pure celebration of power.
The critique of the pure celebration of data.
The critique of the pure celebration of money.
The critique of the pure celebration of social media.
The critique of the pure celebration of religion as an institution.
The critique of the pure celebration of science as an institution.

We can not resist the temptations of common sense, but nevertheless, we steadily keep drifting away from it.
The promises of reason fulfilled no more than those of the heavens, or the promised land.
We were disappointed in the American dream, and the idea of equality.
Disappointment at reason is reasonable after all.
Wherever and however we look, we see – the signs of reason failing us.

Equality, liberty, naivety.
Equallity, liberty, vanity.
Equality, fraternity, hubrisity.
Equality, fraternity, hypocrisy.