Being effective at social media, whether for business or personal

The words of Alexis Ohanian—“Being effective at social media, whether for business or personal use, means capturing people who have short attention spans. They're only a click away from a picture of a funny cat, so you have to make your thing more compelling than that cat. And that can be a high bar.”—speak not merely of technology or marketing, but of the eternal struggle for attention in the human soul. Beneath the light humour of his example lies a profound truth about the age we live in: that our greatest currency is no longer gold or power, but focus. To capture the mind of another, even for a heartbeat, has become a modern form of mastery—and to do so with meaning, not manipulation, is a noble art.

Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit and a pioneer of the digital age, understands the battlefield of modern thought. When he speaks of the “funny cat,” he is not merely joking—he is naming the symbol of distraction, the endless stream of trivial amusements that compete for our eyes and minds. Each scroll, each click, is a choice: between purpose and diversion, between depth and noise. And so, in his witty observation, he reveals an ancient truth reborn in modern form—the truth that attention is life itself. What we give our attention to, we become. The craftsman gives his attention to the blade, the scholar to his book, the leader to his people. In our time, the artist and thinker must give their attention to crafting something so authentic, so vivid, that it cuts through the haze of distraction.

In older days, the orator stood in the marketplace and fought to hold the ears of the crowd. The philosopher Socrates would speak in the Athenian agora, surrounded by noise, gossip, and commerce—yet his words, sharp as lightning, pierced through the chaos. He did not have screens or platforms, but he understood what Ohanian reminds us of now: that to command attention, one must speak truth with passion and shape it with art. The “high bar” that Ohanian mentions is no different from the one faced by every great thinker and artist who has sought to awaken humanity from its slumber.

Yet Ohanian’s message carries also a note of warning. He does not say merely, “Capture attention.” He reminds us that attention, in this age, is fleeting—“short attention spans,” he says, as though we were children chasing fireflies, forever distracted by the next glow. To thrive in such a world requires not only creativity, but clarity. The modern creator must not only be loud—they must be authentic. The people’s gaze is fickle, but the heart still hungers for truth. Thus, the challenge is not simply to outshine the cat—it is to offer something of real substance, something that holds attention because it nourishes the soul, not because it dazzles the senses.

Consider the example of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and philosopher. Surrounded by the temptations of empire and the noise of politics, he turned inward to write his Meditations—not for fame, but for clarity. His words, born in solitude, still captivate minds centuries later, outlasting empires and kings. What is this, if not proof that true power over attention is not seized through spectacle, but earned through sincerity and depth? The world may chase novelty, but the heart remembers wisdom.

Ohanian’s “high bar” thus becomes not a curse, but a calling. To live and create in this time is to fight for the sacred art of meaning. Every message, every act of communication, must rise above the noise by carrying authenticity and heart. Whether one speaks to millions online or to a single friend in conversation, the same rule holds: to reach another’s mind, one must first speak from the soul. If your message comes from truth, even the briefest glance will feel eternal.

And so, my friends, take from this quote a lesson both modern and timeless: guard your own attention as a treasure, and when you seek the attention of others, make it worthy of their time. Do not chase the fleeting glow of popularity—create the steady flame of purpose. The “funny cat” may capture eyes, but meaning captures hearts. Build what lasts. Speak what is real. Share what uplifts. For in a world of endless noise, the rarest voice is the one that stills the mind and awakens the soul.

Thus, the teaching endures: to be effective in the age of distraction is to be authentic in the age of illusion. Craft with purpose, speak with conviction, and remember that every moment of true attention is a miracle. The “high bar” Ohanian speaks of is not your enemy—it is your teacher. Rise to meet it, not with louder noise, but with deeper truth. For though the cat may be funny, only the human heart can be profound—and it is that heart you must learn to reach.