It runs against natural instinct to value that. Instinct for any body or group is to protect itself. This may be too obscure, but I have a mental image of how the blood reacted in The Thing movie - living things protect themselves.

I'm not seeing evidence of this personally (I feel like I'm seeing folks double down) but I hope you are right!

It's a freedom that has cost you something

One thing I keep wondering is if the next few years will leave an archeological layer in the arts, if that makes sense

It's overwhelming

I do solemnly promise to faithfully support everyone whom it personally benefits me to do so for as long as it shall personally benefit me to do so...

I expect the "deke the goalie" tactic will be a common pattern over the next few years—bold claims, dramatic announcements, and shocking threats designed to dominate the conversation, provoke reactions, and then pivot swiftly to keep opponents off balance and control the narrative. 4/4

Opponents scramble to respond, investing time and energy, only for the leader to pivot or move on, leaving them looking overreactive or out of step. It’s a clever way to maintain control and keep others on the defensive. 3/4

This same trick gets used in leadership and politics. Think about a leader or politician who makes some huge claim or wild threat—something so big it forces everyone to react. 2/4

Our first time in a cult, we were idealists. This time, our eyes are open and we are here against our will.

Seems very Bibly

I learned a new word!

I thought you were joking and I didn't think it was funny, argh

I think the availability heuristic shows up here. I've never seen them do x, but I have seen them do y, thus y is the thing that is easily available to my gut reactions. dictionary.apa.org/availability...

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non_seq... 😃