It’s funny to reflect on how shocking it is for us to live through something that used to be so common as to be generally assumed as part of life by humanity. Even things we think of as huge one-time events, like when the plague wiped out half of Europe, weren’t one time events. TheContinue reading “On gratitude during uncertain times”
Tag Archives: society
What liberals and conservatives want
Both conservatives and liberals want the same thing, a safe place to live their lives and thrive. The difference is in approach. Conservatives want that process mediated at a local level, particularly by themselves. They want the maximum freedom to be in charge of how they conduct their lives and business so they can ensureContinue reading “What liberals and conservatives want”
Feeling vs substance
Health doesn’t consist in feeling good. Feeling good is the consequence of health. Attempting to feel good by force or contrivance won’t make you healthy, in fact it may harm you even worse by removing your ability to perceive your sickness. Our culture is terribly averse to pain of any kind. We want to ameliorateContinue reading “Feeling vs substance”
Hatred of the ordinary
Our culture has a hatred of the average or ordinary. We seek exceptionalism, but not in performance (ethics) or morality (virtue), but in a new kind of currency: identity. Thus the focus on experiences and displaying them, the desire to be different and stand out, to be individual and unique rather than conform to anyContinue reading “Hatred of the ordinary”
On Infinity War
There’s a lot you could say about this movie. Here’s my sort of spoiler review. It was an amazing experience, the biggest cinematic experience I’ve ever had, certainly the most emotional. It’s the ultimate comic book movie and a great end to the MCU. If I were to pick out my only tiny nitpicks, theContinue reading “On Infinity War”
On reciprocal racism
Before I begin, I want to clarify that what I have to say here is primarily intended for white people arguing internally about the subject of racism. If I were talking to other races about racism, that would be another context and need another discussion. This is aimed toward the internal discussion whiteness in AmericaContinue reading “On reciprocal racism”
On race and being American
It always did seem so weird to me when you would read certain older books and realize Italians weren’t considered white. And I still genuinely don’t get how anyone, including white supremacists, can not consider Jewish people white. They’re, like, the heroes of white people. Educated, industrious, wealthy, funny, fashionable, well established and influential inContinue reading “On race and being American”
Why are men obvious and women opaque?
There is a small matter that works at my thoughts, demanding attention. Obviously, the way we approach our need for one another can and has resulted in some terrible abuses. Because it’s such a powerful fundamental aspect of our identities, because it’s so tied to our life and survival as a species, its a prettyContinue reading “Why are men obvious and women opaque? “
How should we regulate sex?
It’s a difficult subject to tackle, how we should approach sex. Sex, both as an identity and as as an activity, I mean. Yes, societies have done various things throughout history, but generally they’ve let instinct and necessity dictate the terms. And on the side, once they’ve paid tribute to what need to be doneContinue reading “How should we regulate sex?”
What is romance?
Friendship is the enjoyment of lives lived in parallel. Romance is the desire to unite your story with someone else’s. We enjoy drama and excitement and a sense of occasion in that unity, we want it to have a sense of occasion. There’s a delight in the ritual and in performing the rites of significance.Continue reading “What is romance?”
Tricky modern terms
The tricky thing about using terms like “marginalized” or “disenfranchised” to describe certain groups of people who aren’t doing as well as some other people, is that it ends a discussion that perhaps needed to be had before the current discussion could even begin. By labeling them as marginalized or victimized or disenfranchised, you’ve alreadyContinue reading “Tricky modern terms”
Making Nobody Happy 