Reacting to Reactions

The DIFFERENTS are coming!

So I don't listen to or watch or consume or imbibe or wink at podcasts much anymore. That's too broad a statement now that I see it written, but not entirely untrue.

There are a few I'll still dip my toe in here and there, but for the most part, I've left that behind. It used to be a place to hear uncommon minds discuss a lifetime of uncommon work. A place to learn where to look for excellent, mind-changing discovery.

There were always the proto-mutterings of bro-bullshit, but the good always outweighed the bad. Now I'm lucky to find solid land in a desolate sea of screamers filibustering a dark-skinned Ariel because of... well, racism.

Knee-Jerk Jerks

So few are the trillion dollar conversations these days. Minds that many claim to be "smart" call the world childish, stupid and dangerous because they don't understand it anymore. The actual, relevant science is drowned out, long-misinterpreted in a bawling game of simpering telephone that years ago lost any relevance. 

No one is reacting to reality anymore. They're reacting to reactions to reactions to reactions to reality. There's still substance to be found, but boy is it buried deep. 

I get it. I get the outrage machine. I get fearfully barking at change and thinking the volume makes you brave. I even get those who proclaim it's all harmless. Just characters and entertainment. Yeah, for profit, but... so what? 

So what if a few people believe Liverking is natty or that Musk is a genius! So what if people have literally broken up families, picked up guns, harassed and bullied because the "intelligence" of their idols gave them top cover. 

We're all just reacting to reactions aren't we. Well here's a shout out to the places where the big conversations are still happening. Where they discuss the climate, not the weather. 

And just because he deserves it, here's to Rutger Bregman. Read his books everyone. They're better than nearly every podcast out there.