🐰 The Hidden Paradox of "Agency" | Attention Crisis, Part Six

Sep 25, 2025 6:46 pm

🐰 Down The Rabbit Hole 🕳️


“Technology is not only the servant of society but also its master. It has an autonomous logic that is determined by efficiency, which cannot be subordinated to any other moral or ethical consideration.”

~ Jacques Ellul


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Greetings, dear newsletter subscriber,


  • How is agency both essential and potentially dangerous?
  • How have cultures treated agency differently across history?
  • How can we clarify our own core values?


We often celebrate agency—our ability to make choices and shape our own lives. But is agency always as positive as we think?


In this week’s video, I put “agency” to the test using our 8-question checklist for evaluating human values. On the one hand, agency is essential to human flourishing, meaning, and responsibility. Without it, we become passive and disenfranchised. On the other hand, agency can be a double-edged sword: we often misuse it, make bad decisions, and often undermine our communities with it.


If you’ve ever wondered what role freedom and choice should play in a meaningful life, you'll likely find this week's episode of interest...


👉 Watch the video here

👉 Read the article here


What do you think? Is agency overrated or essential?


Have a great weekend, and we'll see you again next week!


Warmly,


Herman


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