Marcus Aurelius wrote about being pulled like a puppet by fear, suspicion, and desire.
He lived two thousand years ago. No internet, no notifications, no feeds.
Imagine what he'd say now.
We don't just feel the pull of our passions anymore. We carry devices designed to amplify them. Every ping is a string. Every scroll a tug.
Fear shows up as breaking news. Desire as targeted ads. Suspicion as endless threads spiralling into outrage.
The divine part of us is still there. The part that notices, that chooses, that can step back.
But it's harder to hear when the strings multiply faster than we can name them.