The anxiety over influence
We fear that others will be adversely influenced by something that we want to censor: video games, porn, racist invective. But we want to influence others’ behaviour through advertising, campaigning, rhetoric. Yet
Category: Thoughts
Climate derange
Reading an article co-authored by a genuinely clever dude I know, Tom Swann, I had a few of my thoughts on climate change crystallise. Or maybe they glaciated. Apparently Harvard
Ye be judged
It’s both impossible and stupid to not judge others. This is too obvious for words, except that I repeatedly find myself being accused1)Somewhat judgementally. of “judging people” as though it were the
Our education system doesn’t learn
An opinion piece on education? I know. Don’t worry this is less than a thousand words. In rich countries the education system we currently have is frequently and enjoyably criticised
Grand narratives
In a well anthologised quotation, the philosopher Jean-François Lyotard defined the postmodern condition as “incredulity towards metanarratives”. We all need more incredulity, especially towards the large, totalising explanations of the world
Do what doesn’t make you sick
Many people say you should do what you’re passionate about. It’s an inspirational idea, espoused often in commencement and graduation speeches, and these are the most inspirational types of speeches.
If we take Taleb seriously
To take Nassim Nicholas Taleb seriously one first needs to unsubscribe from his Twitter feed, then un-like him on Facebook and then read his books, especially Antifragile and Black Swan: his
Reading
My man AC Grayling says, “To read is to fly.” I think that’s wonderful but I also think that to read (if done properly) is to continually run up against