Intelligence has become fetishized.
CEOs of major tech companies with a very high IQ… and zero sense, and zero empathy. Sam Altman defending AI’s energy toll by saying it also takes a lot to ‘train a human.’ “It takes about 20 years of life – and all the food you consume during that time – before you become smart,” he says.
Chilling.
Being “smart” is the top of his hierarchy of values. And because of the theoretical unlimited computing power of a machine, we know where this leads.
Machine over man.
Intelligence ≠ wisdom.
Bruce Dickinson sang about this eloquently in “Darkside of Aquarius.” Powerfully too, but we expect that. It is Bruce, the human Air Raid Siren.
Peaceful existence and love of fellow man, as symbolized by the wheel of Dharma, is under assault from four apocalyptic hellriders.
I don’t put a lot of confidence in the soothsaying power of astrological signs, but I think the Dark of Aquarius is a helpful heuristic here. It’s a psychological state characterized by extreme emotional detachment, stubbornness, and a tendency to be aloof or unpredictable. Intellect is prioritized over emotion.
When unbalanced, Aquarians can act coldly and ruthlessly, frequently using their intelligence to justify any action. A God complex.
We need a silver surfer to save us from Galactus about now. This bit is in the song too. I’ve also heard that it is a reference to Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” but it’s too long since I’ve read that to comment right now.
And I have to run to a brewery.
… ANYWAY, grim stuff but a great song. That transition at 4:38 … chills.
I have said before Bruce’s solo stuff is criminally underrated. Accident of Birth is an incredible album for which I need to do a deeper dive at some point. I've covered "Man of Sorrows" before and there is a lot more to mine from this album.
Happy Metal Friday.
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