I love Keira Knightly.
Love her.
She’s talented, gorgeous, funny and … OK, she’s just bloody gorgeous.
But she is also smart because she said this …
Now I know what you’re thinking, I only like it because she said it, but that’s not true.
Sure, I am also an atheist and yes … one of the things that bugs me about many religious people is how they view anyone who doesn’t believe in God as basically living a hedonistic lifestyle with no social conscience or regret … but the reason I like it is because it makes you think.
As Keira states, people who don’t believe in God are arguably more likely to live a honourable life because they know they can’t simply say “I’m sorry” and the slate is wiped clean, they have to live with the consequences of their actions.
And while many religious people may dismiss that opinion out of hand [with many probably refusing to give an explanation] it’s the fact she raises a point that challenges convention – while still being relevant to that convention – that I find so wonderful.
For me, that’s what planning is about.
It’s about asking questions that can be turned into infectious ideas that make people think and reconsider.
That doesn’t mean you are being disrespectful … in fact, I’d argue it’s the absolute opposite, because by spending time thinking about something and then asking questions about it, it shows you have a willingness to know or understand more, which – at least for me – is the very definition of respect.
But many don’t see it that way.
They see it as destructive … rebellious … disrespectful.
Of course, how you conduct yourself is key to how others view your motives … but it’s this ability to find perspectives that make people look at things they’ve taken for granted in new ways, that still genuinely excites me.
This is not the same as ‘disruption’.
It used to be, but disruption – at least in modern advertising terms – has become about shock or irrelevance.
No, what I’m talking about is the ability to shine a light of consideration on something that demands to be seen, heard, considered and discussed.
And that’s why I love planning because when it’s done right, it acts as the ignition to infectious creativity, powerful commerce and engaged culture.
We live in times where brands want to spoon-feed.
Where the thought of asking an audience to ‘think’ is seen as a negative.
When did that bullshit attitude begin?
An audience that thinks is an audience that cares.
An audience that cares is an audience that is valuable.
An audience that is valuable is an audience that changes your future.
Making people think and reconsider isn’t bad, it’s a sign you’re worth giving a shit about.
So thank you Keira, you reminded me what I love about my job and for that, I love you a little bit more – but don’t worry, it still doesn’t qualify as stalker standards. Yet.