Ah, don't worry about it. The world's full of assholes, and you don't actually strike me as one. Pointing out the truth is going to piss people off, they're going to say stupid, annoying shit, and you're just going to have to ignore it. When you shine a light on cockroaches, you're going to see a lot of cockroaches. I just made that up. I don't know if it actually makes sense, but I like the sound of it. Good luck.
Praxis is welcome news! Your have a great mind and platform - it is heartening that you hear the call to action. While 'asshole' may be somewhat apropos, I also think the term is overly vague. My takeaway from your writing is: respect should be earned, not freely given, and likewise engaging in good faith is only effective when it's symmetrical. Combine that with the fierce determination to stand up for what is right (damn the torpedos!) sounds much closer to a warrior or fighter. So fight on and please keep recruiting others into the cognitive resistance. ❤️
Your writing is oxygen in the middle of a fire storm that is consuming all the air we have to breath. Your voice is one that gathers energy to it. We the people can do this, but such rallying points are energizing and supportive of our work. Keep up the god work.
I am reminded that the father of Gestalt Psychotherapy, Fritz Perls, as he was honing his craft at the Esalen Institute, would invite members from the community to sit in an outer ring. Esalen was in Big Sur, CA, a fairly conservative area, so that Esalen would invite members of the community to witness what was happening there. Fritz was one of the first therapists to routinely use the word, "fuck" during therapy. At one particular session, an elderly lady in the outer ring would titter, every time he uttered that word. Fritz tried to ignore her, but finally gave up, saying in his deep baritone voice, "Just what is it with you, Madame?" She tittered some more and said, "Oh... I am just not used to hearing such words." Fritz sighed and said, "Forgive me madame, - for not calling a spade a 'garden implement.'"
I am totally in alignment with your logic. I have become this myself after a lifetime civility and compassion. Harsher times call for harsher action and language.
Is it time for acts of civil disobedience? Sit ins, strikes, blockades, etc.? I certainly think so. It's hard to be patient when I see America being dismantled and sold for parts by the minute, literally.
You mean, like, it would be bad if people were to, say, go to a particular department of education website called the "End DEI Portal" -- that was created in order to report examples of "divisive ideologies and indoctrination" in public schools so that the DOE can follow up and investigate -- and flood it with thousands of bogus reports so that the tool becomes effectively useless for its intended purpose? Like, we shouldn't do things like THAT, should we?
I feel like protesting, but how soon will the cops be instructed to turn on protesters with rubber bullets, water cannons and truncheons, and haul us off to prison?
Last night when a member of the Democratic Central Committee of a nearby county had cut me off with "put it writing," I answered him with "fuck off," having driven an hour through the mountains to teach politics to this Very Important Person.
I am pleased to have my answer as consistent with an iterated Prisoners Dilemma. Restacking!
Circumstantial realities force me to agree with you and start googling for my nearest gun store. Now's the time we're gonna need an aggressive alternative to polite discourse. It's fucking over.
Thank you for this article. We are kindred spirits. I often tell people who threaten me when I stand up to them (and, I have, more than once, risked my safety and had my life threatened for doing so), "Life's a bitch, and then there's me." I'm content with being difficult when freedom, safety, and other's well-being are on the line. All of the above and more are on the line with the hostile takeover of our Democracy. We are not called to be nice to tyrants when we are called to be warriors against their tyranny and oppression.
If you’re doing it for justice or to defend the defenseless, etc. I don’t think it falls into the ‘asshole’ category, does it? Assholes believe they are better than other people. You would be defending people from assholes.
Yes, being value. I thought assholes behave as assholes because they disregard the basic worth of other people—their asshole behavior is based on the idea they matter in the world, others do not matter.
Usually, they have the view that they are intrinsically better than other people, that some people are naturally superior to others, and they are those people.
We usually have to be a pain in the ass to defend other people or justice—but I wouldn’t call that ‘assholery.’
Ah, don't worry about it. The world's full of assholes, and you don't actually strike me as one. Pointing out the truth is going to piss people off, they're going to say stupid, annoying shit, and you're just going to have to ignore it. When you shine a light on cockroaches, you're going to see a lot of cockroaches. I just made that up. I don't know if it actually makes sense, but I like the sound of it. Good luck.
Praxis is welcome news! Your have a great mind and platform - it is heartening that you hear the call to action. While 'asshole' may be somewhat apropos, I also think the term is overly vague. My takeaway from your writing is: respect should be earned, not freely given, and likewise engaging in good faith is only effective when it's symmetrical. Combine that with the fierce determination to stand up for what is right (damn the torpedos!) sounds much closer to a warrior or fighter. So fight on and please keep recruiting others into the cognitive resistance. ❤️
Ok, but you’re MY asshole, our asshole, and not an orifice but something I’m stitching onto my sleeve. Thanks, asshole.
😮😬
Musk, Trump, and Vance are assholes. On the scale of assholery you don't hold a candle to any one of them.
Your writing is oxygen in the middle of a fire storm that is consuming all the air we have to breath. Your voice is one that gathers energy to it. We the people can do this, but such rallying points are energizing and supportive of our work. Keep up the god work.
Well I meant to say good work!
It might be both!
I am reminded that the father of Gestalt Psychotherapy, Fritz Perls, as he was honing his craft at the Esalen Institute, would invite members from the community to sit in an outer ring. Esalen was in Big Sur, CA, a fairly conservative area, so that Esalen would invite members of the community to witness what was happening there. Fritz was one of the first therapists to routinely use the word, "fuck" during therapy. At one particular session, an elderly lady in the outer ring would titter, every time he uttered that word. Fritz tried to ignore her, but finally gave up, saying in his deep baritone voice, "Just what is it with you, Madame?" She tittered some more and said, "Oh... I am just not used to hearing such words." Fritz sighed and said, "Forgive me madame, - for not calling a spade a 'garden implement.'"
Through reading this I have come to realize, I haven't been enough of an asshole.
Me too!!!
I am totally in alignment with your logic. I have become this myself after a lifetime civility and compassion. Harsher times call for harsher action and language.
Is it time for acts of civil disobedience? Sit ins, strikes, blockades, etc.? I certainly think so. It's hard to be patient when I see America being dismantled and sold for parts by the minute, literally.
You mean, like, it would be bad if people were to, say, go to a particular department of education website called the "End DEI Portal" -- that was created in order to report examples of "divisive ideologies and indoctrination" in public schools so that the DOE can follow up and investigate -- and flood it with thousands of bogus reports so that the tool becomes effectively useless for its intended purpose? Like, we shouldn't do things like THAT, should we?
https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-launches-end-dei-portal
I feel like protesting, but how soon will the cops be instructed to turn on protesters with rubber bullets, water cannons and truncheons, and haul us off to prison?
Alison,
Don't jump to Plan B until Plan A fails us.
Perhaps an Army of Shadows would be safer and more effective than mass gatherings.
Lee,
Or both. No need, at least currently, to do just one.
Last night when a member of the Democratic Central Committee of a nearby county had cut me off with "put it writing," I answered him with "fuck off," having driven an hour through the mountains to teach politics to this Very Important Person.
I am pleased to have my answer as consistent with an iterated Prisoners Dilemma. Restacking!
Keep on!
Circumstantial realities force me to agree with you and start googling for my nearest gun store. Now's the time we're gonna need an aggressive alternative to polite discourse. It's fucking over.
I would have no problem brewing a special kind of democracy tea for Putin to drink!
The comfortable and complacent lack of situational awareness in our current situation requires us to make some noise.
Thank you for this article. We are kindred spirits. I often tell people who threaten me when I stand up to them (and, I have, more than once, risked my safety and had my life threatened for doing so), "Life's a bitch, and then there's me." I'm content with being difficult when freedom, safety, and other's well-being are on the line. All of the above and more are on the line with the hostile takeover of our Democracy. We are not called to be nice to tyrants when we are called to be warriors against their tyranny and oppression.
If you’re doing it for justice or to defend the defenseless, etc. I don’t think it falls into the ‘asshole’ category, does it? Assholes believe they are better than other people. You would be defending people from assholes.
Well, it turns out, that I do often think I am better than the people I would morally condemn. Because isn't that, after all, the point?
Yes, being value. I thought assholes behave as assholes because they disregard the basic worth of other people—their asshole behavior is based on the idea they matter in the world, others do not matter.
Usually, they have the view that they are intrinsically better than other people, that some people are naturally superior to others, and they are those people.
We usually have to be a pain in the ass to defend other people or justice—but I wouldn’t call that ‘assholery.’
I reluctantly agree!