The reference to gulag archipelago is interesting. Thank you for summarising content i had reached my limit on. Context I wish more media outlets would take the time to digest and share.
Thanks for reading, Ali. Yes, I've been quite disappointed with the vast majority of coverage on this topic, including on a lot of Substacks I otherwise respect.
I'm not a huge believer in the ability of people to win hearts and minds in the disembodied realm of text but it is wonderful that it allows us to at least make some sort of connection. If we were speaking face to face (which is the sort of communication that we evolved to be able to do) it would probably be worth seeing if we could come to common agreements that we could then try to convince-or-be-convinced by others but the spare ghost of our humanities crammed into these 26 character characters make it essential that we (not just you and me, but our theoretical readers too) have 10 times the amount of "assumption of goodness" which is required even in face to face conversations.
Yet we know that texts are regarding with 10 times the amount of suspicion and distrust.
And again, not just by the people who are communicating, but by the people whom we assume will read us (whom we subconsciously take into account when we speak with each other in public) and the present culture is near the extreme opposite of that.
Any suggestions?
Otherwise we're all just speaking to our presumed tribal choirs.
Some form of alienation seem inevitable in textual communication. But at the same time it also offers the ability for introspective self-reflection in a way that verbal discussion and debate cannot. I shared something related to this topic in last week's Weekly Grounding: https://branko2f7.substack.com/p/on-general-futility-of-political
Question: Do you prefer the truth in the form of "I have too much going on right now to read it all but I want you to know that I skimmed it" or do you prefer that I not mention the matter.
Text is very very odd. It's essentially one way shouts at each other.
In fact, I wrote an article I'd like to send you that makes that point! 😂 Or at least begins to because my consciousness was taken over by a different one and the article stopped pussy-footing around and went for the jugular.
But I won't send it you because I feel like it can be taken as demeaning to say, "I didn't read your article, but I think you should read mine!"
Like I said, I find face to face communication hard enough to do right so text is just not something I do a lot of.
The reference to gulag archipelago is interesting. Thank you for summarising content i had reached my limit on. Context I wish more media outlets would take the time to digest and share.
Thanks for reading, Ali. Yes, I've been quite disappointed with the vast majority of coverage on this topic, including on a lot of Substacks I otherwise respect.
Huh.
I'm not a huge believer in the ability of people to win hearts and minds in the disembodied realm of text but it is wonderful that it allows us to at least make some sort of connection. If we were speaking face to face (which is the sort of communication that we evolved to be able to do) it would probably be worth seeing if we could come to common agreements that we could then try to convince-or-be-convinced by others but the spare ghost of our humanities crammed into these 26 character characters make it essential that we (not just you and me, but our theoretical readers too) have 10 times the amount of "assumption of goodness" which is required even in face to face conversations.
Yet we know that texts are regarding with 10 times the amount of suspicion and distrust.
And again, not just by the people who are communicating, but by the people whom we assume will read us (whom we subconsciously take into account when we speak with each other in public) and the present culture is near the extreme opposite of that.
Any suggestions?
Otherwise we're all just speaking to our presumed tribal choirs.
Be blessed brother,
YDYDY
Some form of alienation seem inevitable in textual communication. But at the same time it also offers the ability for introspective self-reflection in a way that verbal discussion and debate cannot. I shared something related to this topic in last week's Weekly Grounding: https://branko2f7.substack.com/p/on-general-futility-of-political
Question: Do you prefer the truth in the form of "I have too much going on right now to read it all but I want you to know that I skimmed it" or do you prefer that I not mention the matter.
Text is very very odd. It's essentially one way shouts at each other.
In fact, I wrote an article I'd like to send you that makes that point! 😂 Or at least begins to because my consciousness was taken over by a different one and the article stopped pussy-footing around and went for the jugular.
But I won't send it you because I feel like it can be taken as demeaning to say, "I didn't read your article, but I think you should read mine!"
Like I said, I find face to face communication hard enough to do right so text is just not something I do a lot of.