"Question common sense"—isn't that just common sense now!? The self-referential paradox and the trap of SNS capitalism

There are powerful words in this world.
When combined with something capitalistic, they become uncontrollable.

"Question common sense."

This is a phrase that has been used to death. By now, it carries nothing but a commercial scent.

At first glance, it seems like a sharp remark. But in reality, it is nothing more than a phrase that has been completely consumed as a catchphrase for self-help and advertising.

In that moment, "question common sense" conversely becomes a "common-sense expression," and it can no longer escape being an object of questioning.

It is the birth of the common sense that one should "question common sense."

People who are ordered to question are then forced to question the very act of "questioning" itself, becoming caught in an endless cycle.

In the vast world of the internet, "normal" and "common sense" have become difficult to define.

This is the paradox of self-reference. From the "liar paradox" of ancient Greece to modern SNS culture, humans have always been drawn to this contradiction.

Take, for example, the phrase often seen on social media: "Please do not share this post." What should be a warning instead fuels curiosity and leads to explosive sharing.

Just as a "No Trespassing" sign itself invites people to go beyond it, the declaration of prohibition becomes a switch for expansion.

Another example is "anonymous identity." Originally, anonymity should mean "discarding one's name." But precisely because one has no name, one can only demonstrate existence through content and writing style.

As you continue to write, your linguistic habits and ways of thinking accumulate, and people begin to recognize that "this anonymous person is that person." Conversely, because you are not bound by a name, you can go all-in on your actions, which may even lead to moral deviations.

Being anonymous actually creates a situation where the presentation of individuality is unavoidable.
And ironically, leaving no content behind is what true anonymity is.
But if you repeat actions, you will eventually emerge as a character.

Furthermore, there is the "meaning of meaningless content."
Posts or videos declared to have "no meaning" conversely evoke a desire for interpretation in people, becoming objects of laughter or inspiration and spreading widely.

The very act of emphasizing that something is meaningless becomes the greatest engine for generating meaning. When people are told something has "no meaning," they cannot help but assign it one.

Common to these examples is the structure where "the more you try to control yourself from the outside, the more the act of control itself produces the opposite effect."

Prohibition invites desire,
anonymity creates uniqueness,
and meaninglessness amplifies meaning.

Every time humans try to escape the trap of "self-reference," they strengthen that trap. This is not just a logic puzzle, but a phenomenon repeated everywhere in our daily lives.

Powerful words are exceptionally compatible with capitalism.
Assertiveness earns impressions and creates value as a commodity.

However, it is precisely that assertion that easily invites the trap of self-reference. Just as "question common sense" has become common sense itself.

Ultimately, holding a contradiction is a reaction to being too biased. The strength of a definitive statement ends up flipping over as a paradox. In this way, the trio of "modern SNS × capitalism × self-reference" shapes the landscape surrounding our words.

And perhaps, rather than shouting "question common sense" to the outside world, letting it resonate within ourselves as "try questioning common sense once in a while" would shake the world more deeply.

Today, too, I am living in a world that does not go as planned.