Economic domination shifts social identity from being to having to appearing

Evidence

The first stage of the economy’s domination of social life brought about an evident degradation of being into having—human fulfillment was no longer equated with what one was, but with what one possessed. The present stage, in which social life has become completely dominated by the accumulated productions of the economy, is bringing about a general shift from having to appearing—all “having” must now derive its immediate prestige and its ultimate purpose from appearances. — Guy Debord, The Society of the Spectacle, 28

Categorization

• DEEPTHINKING: A three-stage historical arc — being, having, appearing — that doubles as a diagnosis of social media identity decades early.
• SEED: Essay: Debord’s being-having-appearing arc as the best available frame for influencer culture and personal branding.