Tree falls in a forest

“If a tree were to fall in a forest where there are no human beings would there be any sound?”

An average person on the street was not aware of this old philosophical question, however, he (or she) clearly remembered what the Great One had said when asked about existence.

“Remember you are all in a simulation. One day, you will jump from simulation into reality, which will be constructed out of pictures you take and post them. If you miss doing that for a specific experience, there will be a gap in reality for you. The experience without any posting is like a tree falling in a forest without anyone hearing it. Just like that tree did not make sound, your experience will not become real.”

Each person had a smart phone implanted on his head. At any moment, he had to think picture and a photo would be taken. Touching the forehead would make that photo appear in multiple social media. When the simulation was over and humans transferred into reality, that experience would count.

The Great One was also keeping a count on how the posted pictures were received by the audience. More “Likes” it got, higher will be satisfaction derived out of the reality depicted in the posting. To be fair, each person could receive only as many “Likes” as he gave.

Each day in the simulation was a scramble. Not only each individual had to remember to record and post every experience during the day, he had to take time to admire and “Like” other postings. Without that, he would receive very few Likes and even if that experience became reality, it will not be very satisfying.

Often, this involved back tracking to go back to the place and experience that you forgot to record. Afterall, no record, no reality. If that experience cannot be recreated, that’s too bad. It will not exist.

There was no privacy. Since, each experience had to be recorded and posted, an individual had two choices: 1. Record and post it without any inhibition, or 2. Accept the fact that it would not become reality.

This drove a lot of people into deciding that reality was not worth pursuing. Also, there was no proof that what the Great One was saying was the truth or a ploy to control the population.

That made people think, who was the Great One? Nobody had ever seen or heard him. He communicated directly through the implanted smart phone. Who was he? Could he benefit out of what was going on?

Thus began the questioning and eventual beginning of a new age of human existence in which people decided that there is no need to record and post. They were already living in reality.

The tree can decide to fall wherever it wants without worrying about anyone listening to its sound.