Who are the culture heroes of today?

Elon Musk!

I feel like this article is missing a key point: the impact of social media on cultural "heroes."

I genuinely feel like I'm talking to someone from another culture when I chat with people 10 years younger than me. Most of them are heavy into Tik Tok, Instagram, etc. Their music icons, fashion icons, acting icons, activism icons, and business icons are mostly people I have never heard about.

I think this article is an example of that: With the exception of Elon Musk and Bill Gates, I can't think of any "business" heroes that most people outside of the academic/tech social bubble would be familiar with. But for those of us inside the bubble (including the author), yeah, it feels like there's a billion business "heroes" popping up all over and drawing adoring fans.

Another interesting trend: these "heroes" seem to come and go much more quickly, moving at the rapid-fire pace of social media.

I think cultural heroes still exist. They're just fragmented into various cultural bubbles, and they come and go much more quickly. So, yes, there do seem to be less "heroes of the masses" that every person under the sun knows of. But the "heroes of the moment" seem to be multiplying daily.

Culture can be defined as the qualities that make one society, whether separated by space or time, notably distinct from another. With that said:

* Joe Rogan: Podcasting is now a legitimate profession and long form interviews are common.

* Joe Rogan: Juijitsu and MMA were previously obscure.

* The former U.S. President: Never compromise, form a strong opinion without any or few facts, and never admit mistakes. We now have an epidemic of this personality type. When I was young I was warned this "street thug" way of thinking is what kept people in my neighborhood poor. But now it's everywhere.

* Sam Altman and PG: They literally created a new culture: Startup Culture

* David Goggins: Democratized extreme athleticism

* Jordan Peterson: Millions of bedrooms are cleaner today than they were 10 years ago.

Do you get to make the call for someone else ?

Think of a world without MG. Is that world notably different? Do you think that even your communication style with others changed in noticeable way ? If it can't be externally measured or noticed then it is arguably not part of culture.