Rich Silverstein spoke at OMMA Global yesterday. I was really looking forward to his keynote but as he finished and walked off stage I first felt let down. I expected some forward looking perspective on our industry but instead left with an uneasiness in my gut. It was only on reflection that I realized what he’d done was brilliant–he delivered what we all needed, even though we didn’t know we needed it.

Silverstein really had a singular point to convey: Let’s try harder. Try harder in making movies, politics, education, our personal health, government, science, altruism, and yes, advertising.

Silverstein wanted us to be discontented and he wanted to transfer some of that discontent to us. He is motivated (and pissed off) by the ugliness in the world, and he examines how things could be done differently.

In the end Silverstein shared a basic truth, the same one Socrates shared thousands of years before: that the unexamined life is not worth living. That simple truth spread across all aspects of our lives not only makes our industry and our work better it has the potential to make our lives  and our society better as well.

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