Monday, January 12, 2026

Edward Quince's Wisdom Bites: Civilization

John Stuart Mill warned in 1836 that mass society risks drowning thoughtful voices in noise—the “hubbub” of the crowd. In 2026, that hubbub has a ring light and a referral link.

Enter the finfluencer.

Attention Is Not Insight

Finfluencers are not paid to protect your capital. They are paid to capture your attention. These incentives matter more than credentials, track records, or outcomes.

Their content is optimized for virality, not durability. Certainty sells. Complexity does not. Nuance is death on a short-form platform.

This creates a dangerous illusion: confidence masquerading as competence.

Herding Without Anchors

Markets already suffer from herd behavior. Finfluencers accelerate it by broadcasting narratives at scale. Price becomes proof. Momentum becomes validation.

This is the “I Know” school—loud, fast, and allergic to doubt.

The Lesson

Curate your information diet like a portfolio. Cut low-signal content ruthlessly. If advice is urgent, emotional, or promises easy wealth, it is almost certainly noise.

Silence is often the most intelligent response.

XTOD

“Celebrity is the most powerful currency in media... It's more important than track record, novelty of insight, or ROI.”

 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Edward Quince's Wisdom Bites: Civilization

John Stuart Mill warned in 1836 that mass society risks drowning thoughtful voices in noise—the “hubbub” of the crowd. In 2026, that hubbub...