Mental Entropy: When Trauma Becomes Digital Currency

Intelligence dies in the circus of trauma

In spaces where critical thinking is supposed to reside, trauma has become the currency. An inflated pamphlet or a well-told wound yields more than an argument. The recent debate over a self-published book that boasts its author's ego as a source of creativity illustrates this: a work defined as "a movie on pages," with illustrations and hardcover, costing twenty euros to print and polished for three months. It is not an exception; it is a symptom.

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Trauma as tender: the currency of attention

In these environments, displaying vulnerability is rewarded. The more one suffers, the more likes. The more one complains, the more visibility. This perverse logic turns pain into product, making viewers consumers of others' tragedies. It is no coincidence that the term "mental entropy" has resonated: when internal disorder becomes a personal brand, intelligence is relegated to the background, drowned out by the noise of egos.

Cosmic ego: when narcissism disguises itself as art

The case of the self-published author is illustrative. His work, which he calls "unique" and "non-commercial," is based on personal experiences, from "picking up a hitchhiker" to "walking through flamingo marshes." But the most revealing aspect is his claim: "Without ego, nothing is created." This defense of creative narcissism clashes with reality; ego is not the source, but sabotage. The work becomes aseptic because the author looks at himself instead of the world. The result is a monologue, not a dialogue. And when criticism arrives, the response is more ego: "I am not your problem, your brain is." A vicious circle with no exit.

Freedom to shout: value or noise?

Not everyone agrees. Some defend these spaces as places of freedom, where one can speak without censorship, even at the cost of chaos. But that freedom without a framework of respect becomes a jungle of egos, where the loudest voice wins. Freedom is not the problem; the lack of collective intelligence to use it is. As argued in these environments, most conversations are pure noise, though exceptions exist. However, balance seems distant.

How long can the circus be sustained? The question remains open, because as long as there is an audience thirsty for trauma, someone will offer their misery as spectacle. Intelligence, meanwhile, will seek refuge elsewhere.