“The antidote to monothinking is the ability to hold paradox in place without revulsion or contempt, perhaps even with respect. Wisdom lies in navigating the tension between opposing ideas when each bears kernels of truth.”
Loved this quote, Alex. Although I think nuance escapes the average person. Perhaps I have little faith in the average person though.
To me, this is a cascading effect of poor education across many generations. So many capable humans resenting or even becoming averse to education and learning out of spite from their experience in our one-size-fits-all institutionalized education system. It makes critical thought literally painful or at the very least very frustrating. We all avoid discomfort to our own detriment.
Enjoyable read though, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Well said, Kade. I think you are right that nuance escapes the average person, though I see that as more a collective action problem rather than a personal one, because, to your point, education has been deteriorating rapidly in recent years. And digital echo chambers intensify those consequences. Appreciate this.
It's a tough one to define. I think it requires creating spaces in our schools, media, and public discourse that celebrate nuance and reward intellectual honesty over ideological purity. Especially letting kids explore for themselves.
You're precisely on point about it exploding in the last decade—right at the advent of social media and algorithmic limbic hijacking around the early 2010's. Thank you, Amod.
Absolutely. I've been writing a philosophy blog since 2009, and when I started it I generally felt free to speak my mind and search for the truth wherever the exploration led. Over the course of the following ten years that ceased to be the case. I think things have lightened up a bit in the past year or two (and the rise of Substack has helped with that), but the pressure to toe the line was already strong in 2014-15 and got a lot worse after the 2016 election.
Yes, very interesting topic. It’s hard for most people (myself included) to pierce beyond the duality mindset … I just published a piece this morning that explores that very same dilemma when it comes to art-monsters.
Just read it. I love the exploration of whether we can separate art from the artist; it's one I have also contemplated. Thanks for turning me onto to it. Also! Love exploration of the senses. Every full moon. Good shit.
Thanks Alex! Thought it was quite aligned with your topic. These questions are never easy to answer but fascinating to contemplate! And I’m all about the senses 😉
I remember reading that quote when Gurwinder shared it somewhere, the quote you opened with. Great essay. I like to think I hold views that oppose one another, but I honestly don't spend much time thinking about what I do and don't believe in. Perhaps it's time I do.
I actually think that's a healthy way to be. Just living. Having opinions, but holding them lightly. I find paradoxes actually quite fun to think about, tantric to feel into. The important thing, I think, is not being caught in online ideological warfare.
I also find paradoxes fascinating, especially when it’s something that makes my head feel as if it might explode if I think about it too long. Time does that to me, the concept, not the flow of it.
You ever have a fragile conversation with a recent acquaintance and find yourself unable to slow your approach into a challenging, divisive topic? What I’ve noticed tends to happen is that the other person (if they spend too much time online) will ask a series of Facebook quiz level questions with the transparent agenda to either categorize you as one of Us or one of Them.
They’ll eventually think they understand you and summarize your view using one of the focus group tested phrases that bots help proliferate online.
Then they know how to treat you.
What’s ironic is that it’s SO hard to express my dissatisfaction with this cultural predicament without setting myself up as a self-righteous kook who’s above all the “tribal games” that that tribe of Others are playing.
Footnote: I wrote the above in a comment yesterday. One thing I love about Substack is this experience of synchronicity—the thoughts I’m swimming in tend to be the same streams the collective consciousness is moved by (at least in my algorithmic filter bubble).
BUT what do you think Alex? Is it possible to get caught in a kind of deeper tribalism, where it becomes we Metamodernists vrs those Others mired in the culture war? How can we radically include everyone in our philosophy? (Except maybe the extraordinarily rare but very real pyromaniacs who authentically and incurably get off on causing destruction.)
Anyway here’s the comment for proof we’re on similar pages, haha
In retrospect this isn’t the same exact phenomenon. But that “then they know how to treat you” line is meant to hint at the “then they know your opinions on every other topic under the sun” style assumption of monothinking in others that this essay deals with.
“The antidote to monothinking is the ability to hold paradox in place without revulsion or contempt, perhaps even with respect. Wisdom lies in navigating the tension between opposing ideas when each bears kernels of truth.”
Loved this quote, Alex. Although I think nuance escapes the average person. Perhaps I have little faith in the average person though.
To me, this is a cascading effect of poor education across many generations. So many capable humans resenting or even becoming averse to education and learning out of spite from their experience in our one-size-fits-all institutionalized education system. It makes critical thought literally painful or at the very least very frustrating. We all avoid discomfort to our own detriment.
Enjoyable read though, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Well said, Kade. I think you are right that nuance escapes the average person, though I see that as more a collective action problem rather than a personal one, because, to your point, education has been deteriorating rapidly in recent years. And digital echo chambers intensify those consequences. Appreciate this.
Appreciate you, Alex! Hope you and your family are well!
Thanks for your wise words.
Education is necessary.
My question, “ Define education for our complex world 🌎.
The Earth is what we all need to live.
It's a tough one to define. I think it requires creating spaces in our schools, media, and public discourse that celebrate nuance and reward intellectual honesty over ideological purity. Especially letting kids explore for themselves.
Major banger
!!
I believe it is a process….. your life experience /story. Many factors.
Alex love you and your writing. ✍️
You are the best, Barbara <3
Well said. Ideological conformity is always a problem, but it has become a much bigger one, on both the left and right, over the past decade or so.
You're precisely on point about it exploding in the last decade—right at the advent of social media and algorithmic limbic hijacking around the early 2010's. Thank you, Amod.
Absolutely. I've been writing a philosophy blog since 2009, and when I started it I generally felt free to speak my mind and search for the truth wherever the exploration led. Over the course of the following ten years that ceased to be the case. I think things have lightened up a bit in the past year or two (and the rise of Substack has helped with that), but the pressure to toe the line was already strong in 2014-15 and got a lot worse after the 2016 election.
Great piece. I came to it from a restack on Notes. It's given much to think about.
Glad to hear this and that you're here now.
Yes, very interesting topic. It’s hard for most people (myself included) to pierce beyond the duality mindset … I just published a piece this morning that explores that very same dilemma when it comes to art-monsters.
Just read it. I love the exploration of whether we can separate art from the artist; it's one I have also contemplated. Thanks for turning me onto to it. Also! Love exploration of the senses. Every full moon. Good shit.
Thanks Alex! Thought it was quite aligned with your topic. These questions are never easy to answer but fascinating to contemplate! And I’m all about the senses 😉
I remember reading that quote when Gurwinder shared it somewhere, the quote you opened with. Great essay. I like to think I hold views that oppose one another, but I honestly don't spend much time thinking about what I do and don't believe in. Perhaps it's time I do.
I actually think that's a healthy way to be. Just living. Having opinions, but holding them lightly. I find paradoxes actually quite fun to think about, tantric to feel into. The important thing, I think, is not being caught in online ideological warfare.
I also find paradoxes fascinating, especially when it’s something that makes my head feel as if it might explode if I think about it too long. Time does that to me, the concept, not the flow of it.
You ever have a fragile conversation with a recent acquaintance and find yourself unable to slow your approach into a challenging, divisive topic? What I’ve noticed tends to happen is that the other person (if they spend too much time online) will ask a series of Facebook quiz level questions with the transparent agenda to either categorize you as one of Us or one of Them.
They’ll eventually think they understand you and summarize your view using one of the focus group tested phrases that bots help proliferate online.
Then they know how to treat you.
What’s ironic is that it’s SO hard to express my dissatisfaction with this cultural predicament without setting myself up as a self-righteous kook who’s above all the “tribal games” that that tribe of Others are playing.
Footnote: I wrote the above in a comment yesterday. One thing I love about Substack is this experience of synchronicity—the thoughts I’m swimming in tend to be the same streams the collective consciousness is moved by (at least in my algorithmic filter bubble).
BUT what do you think Alex? Is it possible to get caught in a kind of deeper tribalism, where it becomes we Metamodernists vrs those Others mired in the culture war? How can we radically include everyone in our philosophy? (Except maybe the extraordinarily rare but very real pyromaniacs who authentically and incurably get off on causing destruction.)
Anyway here’s the comment for proof we’re on similar pages, haha
https://substack.com/@creekmasons/note/c-60391015?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=1t12wr
In retrospect this isn’t the same exact phenomenon. But that “then they know how to treat you” line is meant to hint at the “then they know your opinions on every other topic under the sun” style assumption of monothinking in others that this essay deals with.