The Permanent Ascendance of ‘Bobos’

From Alnold Kling Bobos’ Paradise Lost? What Brooks might have foreseen, but did not, was how this Bobo project would play out as it gathered momentum. In the last two decades, we have witnessed the acceleration of the long-term trend toward expansion of the more abstract-oriented industries, such as finance and entertainment, and a decline… Continue reading The Permanent Ascendance of ‘Bobos’

Inaction and Indifference as Rebellion

Activism includes but is not limited to telling people what to do or what to believe. By that definition, mainstream liberalism and conservatism is activist. There is an authoritarian and conformist tone to it that implores the subject to do something; for example, for the left, ‘you must spread your wealth and check your privilege’,… Continue reading Inaction and Indifference as Rebellion

Wealth, Intellectualism, and Individualism, Part 7

Part 6 Nerd mannerisms and appropriations, especially in pop culture and on Instagram, where pretty women donning faux glasses post memes about social isolation, have become the ‘new normal’, and words like ‘normie’ have become pejorative. Nowadays everyone wants to be the ‘smartest person in the room’, not the most outgoing or popular. But ironically,… Continue reading Wealth, Intellectualism, and Individualism, Part 7

Our morally ambiguous times

Years ago in a philosophy class I posed the question of whether it was more virtuous to have never sinned or to have sinned and then reformed. The evidence suggests the latter, as redemption and America’s culture of authenticity have become increasingly intertwined. ‘Authenticity culture’ celebrates individualism, particularity intellectual endeavors (such as stock trading or… Continue reading Our morally ambiguous times

Time Management and The Celebration of the Mundane

It’s weird or interesting how certain stories go viral and what such viralness says about the state of American society, media, and culture today. On one extreme, stories about Trump and Aleppo go viral, being shared many times, but these are big stories involving important people and important events; such virnalness is expected. But then… Continue reading Time Management and The Celebration of the Mundane

Individualism vs. the State

From Social Matter The End Of Atomistic Individualism: A Theory On Who You Are The purpose of this thought experiment is an attempt to formulate a new, sustainable, non-atomistic understanding of the concept of individualism. Modern individualism, as a product of the Enlightenment, has the function of isolating and alienating individuals from God, society, and… Continue reading Individualism vs. the State

Cambrian explosion’ of intellectualism

One question is: why learn advanced mathematics? This is related to the is-ought problem, as posed by Hume. Problems in differential geometry can be difficult and time-consuming , unlike simple calculus, and are best done by computer, not by hand. A single tensor, as found in general relativity, may have dozens of components…writing them out… Continue reading Cambrian explosion’ of intellectualism

‘Culture Wars’ give way to ‘Shared Narratives’

As I explain in The Genius of Ross Douthat, partisanship and ‘culture wars’ have given way to ‘shared narratives and themes’ (existential matters, the economy, anxiety, distrust of elites, etc.) that cross the political aisle. This was especially evident during the 2016 GOP convention, where in his well-received speech Peter Thiel openly proclaimed being gay… Continue reading ‘Culture Wars’ give way to ‘Shared Narratives’

Liberal Smugness, or Something Else

The smug style in American liberalism Beginning in the middle of the 20th century, the working class, once the core of the coalition, began abandoning the Democratic Party. In 1948, in the immediate wake of Franklin Roosevelt, 66 percent of manual laborers voted for Democrats, along with 60 percent of farmers. In 1964, it was… Continue reading Liberal Smugness, or Something Else