The “Soul” Of The Human Network

by Jay Deragon on 09/06/2009

In many religions, spiritual traditions, and philosophies, the soul is the spiritual or immaterial part of a living being, often regarded as eternal. It is usually thought to consist of one’s consciousness and personality, and can be synonymous with the spirit, mind or self.^[1] In theology, the soul is often believed to live on after the person’s death, and some religions posit that God creates souls.

The words soul and psyche can also be treated synonymously, although psyche has relatively more physical connotations, whereas soul is connected more closely to metaphysics and religion.^[4]

Is It Souls That Drive & Draw The Human Network?

People wonder what draws all these people (over 1 Billion) into social media and social networks. There are many reasons but fundamentally it is the “soul” of the human network that attracts the masses to participate, create, watch and engage in social media. Everyone’s soul desires attention, recognition and a yearning to connect and learn. Our “souls” seek validation to the directions we seek and the solutions to personal and professional endeavors. In the center of our souls is wisdom to choose the right things and do the right things that fulfill our souls desire.

Connectivity of Souls

When we think about social media and social networks in reality both are nothing more than means of connecting with others. Whether it be content of expression (social media) or personal profiles (social networks). In other words the social web has enabled both the expression and connection of “souls”.

Given this connectivity one wonders what is the “soul” of a brand trying to reach our souls. As more and more brands attempts to use social media to reach their audience and pull the audience to a transaction the question remains as to how do they express their soul? Wait a minute, does a brand have a soul? Maybe yes and no.

Reaching Souls

If we are witnessing mass expression of “souls” then it would seem obvious that to reach souls one must listen first to what the souls are saying. In organized religion an outreach is aimed at sharing a message that taps into the soul of the human race. To tap into souls one must have a message that “connects” with the souls they are trying to reach with their message. Reaching and touching souls has been and always will be the most effective way of drawing attention from and with the right audience.

It seems that the world of advertising and marketing ought to consider the method, the message and the audience of “souls” before and during their participation in this new medium we all call social media. If they view it as reaching souls just maybe they would stop the old ways and create new ways to engage with other souls. Make any sense?

What say you?

About Jay:
Jay Deragon’s professional career includes providing strategic management consulting services to Fortune 500 companies as well as local small businesses. He has consulted with numerous industries spanning over 25 years of professional experience globally. His current professional endeavors are all centric to the disruptive nature of the social web. He writes at Relationship Economy and provides social media strategic services to businesses large and small. Jay Deragon is an avid student of the emerging landscape of all things social and the subsequent impact on business dynamics. Since 2004 Mr. Deragon has been actively studying, sharing and learning how business as unusual is changing business methods, models and relationships. Life is a journey and the experiences along the way provides learning that furthers the experiences if we know how and what to learn. for more info go here http://www.relationship-economy.com/?page_id=2