Member-only story
A reader called my story“low IQ”. I take it as a compliment.
A week ago I wrote a story criticizing the extreme hedonism behind the wedding of the son of Asia’s richest person. Some commentators pushed back suggesting that the wedding generates a lot for the local economy. Another reader said, “This is such a low-IQ piece that I’ve muted you.”
I write some of my Medium stories by voicing strong emotions that I experience when I come across some current affairs news. I found the wedding extravaganza distasteful, to say the least. My reference to Satan is too strong but I meant to communicate that the evil entity, if exists, would rejoice at the display of over-the-top indulgence.
The calmer and more empathetic side of me acknowledges the limitations of my writing. I recognize that concepts of good and evil are often subjective; they are social constructs. Life unfolds in an intricate web of joy and suffering, poverty and wealth, reflecting the extraordinary complexity of human existence.
In hindsight, I question my story. Too many emotions. I was too judgemental. But I still stand by the theme of my story — the display of hedonism can be frustrating at a very existential level.
Was my story really “low IQ?” It’s for others to judge.
One thing for sure is that it wasn’t written by artificial intelligence. It was a product of my unique intelligence which, for good or bad, can get distorted by emotions and subjective judgments. No algorithms. Just me. If someone disagrees — good. If someone unfollows or mutes me — fine. Hopefully, I’m not offending anyone but stimulating a debate.
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