Welcome to Codex: a feature writeup elaborating the thematics, vision / mission statements of this entire concept initiative, since 2015.
- This is an archived post which may or may not have undergone further editing for readership accessibility.
What is “Live-It-Forward” model?
A reciprocal model of gratifying life experiences as “Progress” (“Live-It”) rather than forwarding of “Outcomes” (“Pay-It”). “Live-It-Forward” ~ can be thought of as the needed-precursor before charitable transaction (“Pay-It-Forward”) becomes possible. The “precursor” here refers to the biological, organic, authentic, and inseparable ~ individual experiences that thus form that very conviction of living evidence of such Progress. And the “sharing” of that progress refers to the transactional event, or “dialogue” inbetween two (or more) parties.
The “Gratuity” components simply represents gesture of acceptance or thanksgiving between the both (or more) parties’ interaction.
Why “Live-It-Forward” ~ is more authentic than “Pay-It-Forward”?
“Live-It-Forward” centres around the more accountable reception of gratitude, or “thanks-giving” than mere exchanges of arithmetic or “digitised” conventions in form of likes, and/or subscribers counts.
The simplest of all rationale behind this concept, though only as an idea back since this Initiative’s beginnings since 2015 ~ was to address the crisis of acknowledgement – or lack there of ~ amidst increasing digitisation of our human-to-human transaction, and/or event.
The following two (2) elaborate points firstly highlights why our current pay-it-forward gesture is socially constrictive, and how our perception of “gratitude” stems from that of biological experience(s) from within, first and foremost as the authentic and inseparable evidence for all dialogue(s).
1/2
“Likes” and/or “Subscriptions” are conveniences, but prone to inflation.
Amidst social media platforms today, expressing gratitudes is as easy as a mouse click. The authenticity behind each of them however remains a moral debate. One mild criticism one may raise is – are all “gratitudes” may be quantified or simplified through “numbers”? Is witnessing this “number” alone satisfactory?
Bluntly speaking “Yes” seeing numbers go up indeed strongly validates. But an important dialogue for all, prospective authors, content creators alike, including This Author (AW) nonetheless remain that narcissism must somehow be threaded carefully. And this requires constant evaluation on the above existential enquiring ~ should numbers define us?
It remains possible, that were we to fixate our “worth” in numbers alone in materialism ~ may in and of itself an inflationary pursuit. “More” for the sake of more. Finding or convincing one (1) person to agree may not be enough. Likewise ~ getting 100 Likes is not enough. And likewise ~ influencing one million subscribers ~ is not enough.
However, one then may argue ~ “It’s the thought that counts behind each mouse click”. Unfortunately the problem still remains from the recipient’s end, and admittedly as a content creator himself, This Author(AW) implored that artist or aspiring authors alike ~ cannot “learn” just from numbers as feedback(s), alone. A number is a number, it does not distinguish nor discriminate whether that number is a real organic statistic or purchased-bot-likes. Until we uncover what provoked such “thought” in the first place ~ we’d remain involuntarily chained in a world of doubts and mistrusts. Fakeries, and inauthenticities.
2/2
Biological Experience + Instrumental Rewards = True Gratitude.
Numbers only represents glasses served “half-full”. Each and every moment of thanks-giving should impose (firstly) Biological expression, then outwardly as sociological. As follows:
-
“I am validated biologically”; be it through body language, gestures, handshakes, hugs, pats on the back. For what I have done as servitude has indeed been organically interpreted as “enough“.
-
“…Before then I am rewarded instrumentally”. Be it through monetary wages, income, tangible materials & resources needed for that one day I may be able to reciprocate this experience onto others.
The problem with simply giving away “Likes” is that such gratuity model is “empty”. Or at best ~ an incomplete, unwarranted expression.
“What” do people thank one another “for”? They thank one another for something valuable. “What” that is likely absorbed, and/or felt. What do all these share in common? They are all biological. Something or some(one) can relate to.
If anyone can hopefully learn one thing, or at least “admit” from all this seemingly useless or verbose concept ~ is that “gratitude” is both earned and felt. Out of experiences and/or accounts all of which strongly confounded by biology alone ~ makes one all the more ready to contend, to analyse and to reflect with the world around them that much more conscientiously, without discounting anything.
TLDR; Don’t just “Pay-it” forward.
But “Live-It-Through”. All the way. Hence, “Live-It-Forward”.
Opinions and judgments after all, are free. Experiences and circumstances on the other hand? Priceless.
Please exercise ~ your due conscious asking more questions each time you receive a “Like” or a “Subscriber” count update.
Graphic Designers / Creatives / Fashionista’s / Marketers often work in highly frivolous mindsets of looking good, for the sake ~ of looking “good”.
Loud for the sake of Loud. Homogenuinity in trade for Authenticity.
Live-It-Forward,
AW™.