Personally, it is appalling to read some older works and see such blatantly misogynistic, racist, or otherwise ignorant themes. However, I don't think it is immoral to read these texts. It is important to remember that our current ideologies are conclusions reached after much trial and error. As much as it is uncomfortable to read, it is important to recognize that classic literature provides a snapshot of the ideologies/influences of the time. I would argue that it is imperative to remember how far we have come, and to view these texts for what they are and for what they could potentially propagate. That being said, there is some disgusting shit out there that I would much rather forget, but I think in a way that's important too. To be exposed to something, and to hate it so vigorously that you know you would not sit idly by were it to come into existence again, is a good thing.
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Isn’t half the fun in trying to read texts in ways that weren’t intended?
I think reading “morally questionable” work is worth it just to excavate the fault lines of ideology. What logics underpin our world?
May 10, 2024
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We love looking backwards to try to get in touch with ourselves, our history, traditional ways of doing things. I think this is a noble pursuit but the pace of cycling through eras in the trend cycle for example has grown increasingly rapid to the point that it feels like we’re endlessly regurgitating everything all at once, without context.
Rediscovering the past can look like going back to pre-industrial ways of living which is a beautiful thing to strive toward. In a lot of ways, we’ve also abandoned a lot of traditional ways of doing things in favor of methods that are easier, faster, and simpler, not necessarily better.
On the other hand, one of the three essential elements to fascism identified by Jason Stanley is invoking a mythic past to manufacture nostalgia for a more traditional, patriarchal, and racially pure past, which is I think what we’re seeing with a lot of people who romanticize 1950s Americana as some kind of utopian traditional society.
Carl Sagan said:
“In general, human societies are not innovative. They are hierarchical and ritualistic. Suggestions for change are greeted with suspicion: they imply an unpleasant future variation in ritual and hierarchy: an exchange of one set of rituals for another, or perhaps for a less structured society with fewer rituals. And yet there are times when societies must change.”
“As a consequence of the enormous social and technological changes of the last few centuries, the world is not working well. We do not live in traditional and static societies. But our government, in resisting change, act as if we did. Unless we destroy ourselves utterly, the future belongs to those societies that, while not ignoring the reptilian and mammalian parts of our being, enable the characteristically human components of our nature to flourish; to those societies that encourage diversity rather than conformity; to those societies willing to invest resources in a variety of social, political, economic and cultural experiments, and prepared to sacrifice short-term advantage for long-term benefit; to those societies that treat new ideas as delicate, fragile and immensely valuable pathways to the future.”
So I think we need forward-thinking transformational change, though it may not be as comfortable as nostalgia…
Jan 15, 2025
seems like up till maybe 50 years ago if you knew the right guy with a printing press you could get some wild credit for being the first person to have a mostly normal thought. no matter how poorly you articulated it! sometimes it feels like the only sane thing to do is create your own critical framework....you are no less powerful than These Guys. they just made some of this stuff up
Jan 24, 2024
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maybe that sounds a little annoying, but i used to wait around for a surge of manic energy to hit me in order to find the motivation to get out of bed and do things. these days, i try to remind myself that i matter, and if i care about myself then i should do things for my mind and body that are fulfilling. this isn’t perfect, and there are definitely still bad days. but you owe it to yourself to try, i hope things get easier :)
May 6, 2024
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the scenery is so beautiful, and it reaffirms my fear of living in a small rural town
Aug 1, 2024