culture war dynamics

“Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other.”

―Oscar Ameringer

Sitting in your apartment alone radicalizing yourself on the internet is exactly what a hypothetical “evil overlord” would want you to do. The greatest act of rebellion is to go outside and forge relationships and start families and build things that help people and spread love.

The problem with raging against the machine is that the machine has learned to feed off rage

your worst sin is that you’ve formed opinions not from careful reflection on lived experience, but from the assertions of others

I remember when marijuana was medically legalized in Los Angeles. I would see massive lines out the door of dispensaries in my neighborhood. Looking at everyone waiting for their kush, I’d ask myself, “Are all these people really here for ‘medical’ usage? This feels more like legalizing mass addiction to cope with depression, anxiety and god knows... See more

Forgiveness Prayer

In this moment of stillness,

I release the weight of past hurts and grievances,

Letting them dissolve like morning mist in the warmth of understanding.

To those who have caused me pain:

I acknowledge that you, too, were walking your own difficult path.

Your actions, though they wounded me,

Were born from your own struggles, fears, and... See more

I am comfortable with doubt and am constitutionally resistant to moral certainty, herd mentality and dogma. I am disturbed on a fundamental level by the self-serving, toddler politics of some of my counterparts – I do not believe that silence is violence, complicity, or a lack of courage, but rather that silence is often the preferred option when... See more

choosing a side only feels good because it allows the mind to re-right itself into certainty while suppressing the fear of not knowing.

what is the relationship between ideological commitment and status seeking? is an ideology a particular status game you've opted into? do people select the highest status ideology they can get away with? are they just two independent drivers of social behavior?