Rather than looking at individual companies that are gathering information about us to affect our decisions, it is more powerful to look inwards. I am not particularly concerned about my privacy for my purposes. That is because I know I am an incredibly stubborn person. I am a contrarian. A Donkey.
I often wish I was more compliant. I completely understand the Conservative World View. I just can't help myself. Instead of unravelling everything, there is someone to whom you can go and ask, 'What should I do?'. There is an answer, 'This is how it is done'. The Abrahamic Religions all emphasise surrender. Abraham is asked to sacrifice Isaac, and 'God wills it' is sufficient justification.
I grew up in Protestant Churches - Methodist, Anglican and Baptist. The heart of the birth of Protestantism is in the name. Protestants didn't do what they were told. They read the Bible in their own tongue. Translated, from the translation, of the story that had been past down over the centuries. Then they thought about it. Prayed about it. Then acted. That powerful step of 'personal thought' combined with the democratisation of knowledge was a powerful driver of the enlightenment.
I moved away from the Church while at university. The problem with answering 'What should I do?' , with 'What do you think' is that it is an open question. It opens up options. Choices. Discussion. Worries. Doubts.
What we think is heavily influenced by what we see, who we spend time with, and what happens to us. We are primed to act far more than we would like to believe.
I do worry about Privacy. Not my own, but that of the people who make me who I am. My story is not my own. It is the combination of all the people in my life. People who I trust enough to ask me really hard questions should I make decisions that do not resonate with the relationship we have.
I have lots of friends who hold me to account. Who ask me challenging questions. We become far more difficult to manipulate when we are empowered and connected.
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