When you go along to get along, if you play it right, nobody will suspect or see your range. You will become a mirror that reflects what they want to see, themselves, of course.
If you're lucky (and you will be), they won't notice the black-cat-bone swaying around your neck, watching them, watching them, watching them, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
Nice Substack piece. You and Heather Cox Richardson should get together sometime— Maxwell's silver hammer came down!
You are right-in the extreme, we become a mirror of what others want to see. Thank you for the pointer to HCR - I subscribed. Thoughtful, thorough writing grounded in history. Maxwell's silver hammer as an analogy for life's unexpected troubles?
I agree, the Keynes quote is astounding. But elsewhere he concedes that with oversight and reforms we can achieve better social outcomes. I think we are doing some things. In small ways. Pockets of resistance until enough people are fed up with the narrative and it changes. The definitions of patriotism, what it means to be successful, gender roles, what democracy is and isn't-this is what can be changed in a free society. Less easily in authoritarian societies. Maybe a topic for another time. Thanks for reading.
When you go along to get along, if you play it right, nobody will suspect or see your range. You will become a mirror that reflects what they want to see, themselves, of course.
If you're lucky (and you will be), they won't notice the black-cat-bone swaying around your neck, watching them, watching them, watching them, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.
Nice Substack piece. You and Heather Cox Richardson should get together sometime— Maxwell's silver hammer came down!
You are right-in the extreme, we become a mirror of what others want to see. Thank you for the pointer to HCR - I subscribed. Thoughtful, thorough writing grounded in history. Maxwell's silver hammer as an analogy for life's unexpected troubles?
Yep, Maxwell’s got his hammer for the troubles falling out of the sky, or out of our pockets if we’re not careful.
That Keynes quote is pretty stunning. You explain this all so well - but what are we to do? (not expecting an answer, I wish I had one!)
I agree, the Keynes quote is astounding. But elsewhere he concedes that with oversight and reforms we can achieve better social outcomes. I think we are doing some things. In small ways. Pockets of resistance until enough people are fed up with the narrative and it changes. The definitions of patriotism, what it means to be successful, gender roles, what democracy is and isn't-this is what can be changed in a free society. Less easily in authoritarian societies. Maybe a topic for another time. Thanks for reading.
maybe "what can be changed" is the subject of your next piece?
A brilliantly written and relevant commentary on the times.
Thank you 🙏🏼
Thank you, Kyra! What a nice comment!