Nothing is coalescing into a focused essay, but there are a bunch of things on my mind. I’ll probably add to this throughout the day, so check back.
Parasociality is a problem
When you become known for writing or making podcasts (I’m trying to avoid “become a content producer”) a proportion of people who take in what you make become too invested. When you disagree with one of their views, they go from love-bombing to devaluing you as
has recently pointed out.We think we “know” people we admire in a way that we don’t, and we often feel a sense of ownership in what they put out. When they disagree on a hot topic, we feel a sense of emotional betrayal. Sometimes we lash out at them with accusations and lamentations about ever having supported them.
Fortunately, this is a small group of people among those who follow my work. Someone recently left a long accusatory comment about my intellectual and ethical deficiencies on one of my shows. Reading it reminded me that I’ve indulged in this behavior before with people I followed, which is a reminder to me to keep this in check. We should all think about it.
Stupid Covid casualties
It’s been four years since I’ve been able to get my favorite ultra-processed soup: Campbell’s Split Pea with Ham and Bacon. It’s completely disappeared. How can peas and bacon possibly be that difficult to source for this long? Contradictory online information says the company has discontinued it, while others claim it’s just hard to find.
What a stupid four years, and how stupid that we’re still paying for the stupidity after all this time.
Sub-literacy
I regularly read and edit short news articles as part of a gig. The difference between older and younger writers is often stark. From Millennials down to younger generations, it’s clear that public schooling has not taught basic writing and comprehension. Some younger writers struggle with using the correct word—they substitute similar-sounding but incorrect words—and some have no idea how to use common turns of phrase. The inability to think through, or to create, analogies is also obvious.
It’s difficult to coach younger writers when they don’t have the basic structure that my generation took for granted as part working knowledge.
No one understands copyright law, and they don’t know they don’t understand it
Since Youtube became the dominant video platform and began enforcing its own rules about “copyright,” almost everyone no longer understands the actual law. The vast majority of what Youtube forces creators to take down under copyright claims is not an actual violation of copyright law. “Fair use” in copyright law allows anyone to comment on or critique the work of another, including reproducing necessary portions of that work.
That’s the actual law. But how many reading didn’t really know that? How many thought that any reproduction of another work at all, no matter how brief or related to critique, was a “copyright violation”?
Like the U.S. Constitution, we no longer have copyright law functionally. It’s all on paper, and not operative.
Middle age is humbling
Changing my mind from a progressive to a conservative outlook in middle age was not something I predicted. Nor did I predict that the decade of my 40s would have so many opportunities to realize how wrong I was about so many things for so long.
A productive approach to this would be gratitude for having the ability and opportunity to learn and change, and I try to remember that. It is hard on the ego, though, sometimes. That’s OK. Better to have your ego challenged and kept in check than not.
Some of you will recognize this train of thought in your own lives. Making mistakes, failing to anticipate the desired answer or action, was dangerous for me growing up. That led to me building a view of my worth or adequacy based on knowing (hopefully ahead of time) the correct answer, the right words, the right point of view. When so many of those views and answers turned out to be mistaken, it was a lot to take in.
Word-usage reminder
It's not "staunch the blood flow," it's "stanch the blood flow."
"Staunch", adjective: firm and resolute
"Stanch," verb: To stop bleeding literal or metaphorical
What’s on your mind?
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Funny enough, remembering my youth, and particularly the way we handled disagreement among peers back then, helps me a lot today. It's not necessary to agree with someone on everything. You either have better arguments and are able to convince them, or you don't... and aren't. Then it's time to examine your own position. Asking for clarification if you don't understand something is normal (not an "aggression" or a sign you "lack education"), and the "con" in conversation means together, not coaxing or pressuring your counterpart into conformity. I'm faring fairly well with this approach, even with young people, so... that's what's on my mind after reading your post.
Josh, I can relate to all of this!
What's on my mind....? I'm reading a book right now "Personality Isn't Permanent" by Benjamin Hardy. I'm enjoying it and it is challenging me to think through some things in new ways.
I'm glad you continue to do what you're doing. It's so hard to be any kind of "dissenting" voice in a group (whatever that group might be), but the very fact that you continue to do it, allows/inspires others to as well in our own worlds.
Have you ever read Clarissa Pinkola Este's essay "We Were Made for these Times?" It's inspiring. Quite.
Sorry your favorite soup is no longer available. Want to learn to make it for yourself?
And yes, I like the way you say "Middle age is humbling..." It is. Over and over.
Also, I am now procrastinating on some writing work I need to do. 😂
Wishing you well!