Patrick Brown
@pcbrownii.bsky.social
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom."–Lao Tzu.
*Enter common disclaimer here about my opinions..yadda..yadda...yadda
*Enter common disclaimer here about my opinions..yadda..yadda...yadda
"Ignorance isn’t a moral failing; stubbornness is. You are allowed to be learning. You are supposed to be learning—especially if you’re asking people to trust you with budgets, classrooms, or ballots."
Information-Rich, Wisdom-Deficient
How the Dunning–Kruger era turns vibes into policy—and how to stop it
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 5:05 PM
"Ignorance isn’t a moral failing; stubbornness is. You are allowed to be learning. You are supposed to be learning—especially if you’re asking people to trust you with budgets, classrooms, or ballots."
“Too political” is code for “my status isn’t threatened yet.”
We’ll Handle It When It’s On Fire
How America Waits for Catastrophes, Then Acts Shocked
open.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 4:50 PM
“Too political” is code for “my status isn’t threatened yet.”
"Fellow Americans, I stand here in 2025 while the sky crackles with fireworks and the nation pats itself on the back like it just unlocked “Liberty and Justice for All” on expert mode. And I ask—what does this Fourth of July mean to Black America?"
Red, White, and Bruised
Frederick Douglass, Fireworks, and Why America Still Owes Black Folks Receipts
open.substack.com
October 14, 2025 at 4:28 PM
"Fellow Americans, I stand here in 2025 while the sky crackles with fireworks and the nation pats itself on the back like it just unlocked “Liberty and Justice for All” on expert mode. And I ask—what does this Fourth of July mean to Black America?"
"I grew up when debate meant something else. You put on a blazer, stood at a podium, and sweated bullets while you tried to prove why farm subsidies or nuclear treaties weren’t the hill America should die on."
Debate-Bros, Facts, and Other Fantasy Sports
How fake debates became clickbait bloodsport and why democracy and society is worse for it.
pcbrownii.substack.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:00 PM
"I grew up when debate meant something else. You put on a blazer, stood at a podium, and sweated bullets while you tried to prove why farm subsidies or nuclear treaties weren’t the hill America should die on."
"Hate is a lucrative business model. Outrage can be monetized, weaponized, and packaged like a Marvel Phase 5 film. And for the grifters who peddle it, the chaos isn’t a bug—it’s the feature."
This Is Exactly Who We Are
Love, Hate, and America’s Never-Ending Reruns
pcbrownii.substack.com
September 30, 2025 at 9:47 PM
"Hate is a lucrative business model. Outrage can be monetized, weaponized, and packaged like a Marvel Phase 5 film. And for the grifters who peddle it, the chaos isn’t a bug—it’s the feature."
"If you want a picture of our childhood, take Stranger Things and subtract the supernatural monsters, government labs, and telekinetic girls. What’s left? A bunch of unsupervised kids riding bikes until dusk, fueled by Pop-Tarts and Mountain Dew. That was us—just with worse haircuts."
Generation X: The Mixtape Nobody Asked For (But Everyone Borrows)
Surviving Boomers, Raising Millennials, and Ghosting Gen Z With Style
pcbrownii.substack.com
September 23, 2025 at 5:39 PM
"If you want a picture of our childhood, take Stranger Things and subtract the supernatural monsters, government labs, and telekinetic girls. What’s left? A bunch of unsupervised kids riding bikes until dusk, fueled by Pop-Tarts and Mountain Dew. That was us—just with worse haircuts."
Main Character Syndrome turns governance into performance art. Instead of roads getting paved or schools being funded, we get campaign ads shot in 4K. Instead of compromise and negotiation, we get filibusters dressed up as “epic speeches.”
The Truman Show in Your Head
Main Character Syndrome: From Brunch Tables to Ballot Boxes
pcbrownii.substack.com
September 16, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Main Character Syndrome turns governance into performance art. Instead of roads getting paved or schools being funded, we get campaign ads shot in 4K. Instead of compromise and negotiation, we get filibusters dressed up as “epic speeches.”
"Fear, outrage, and cynicism create loyal audiences, and loyal audiences make advertisers very, very happy. Algorithms are like toddlers—they give you more of whatever gets your attention, even if it’s candy-coated outrage."
Outrage, Inc.: How Negativity Became the New National Pastime
Why contrarianism pays, how it’s wrecking our mental health and politics, and the funny, practical ways to shut it down
pcbrownii.substack.com
September 9, 2025 at 4:22 PM
"Fear, outrage, and cynicism create loyal audiences, and loyal audiences make advertisers very, very happy. Algorithms are like toddlers—they give you more of whatever gets your attention, even if it’s candy-coated outrage."
"Every generation gets their chance to make noise, and history proves youth often push us forward — from civil rights to climate activism. But progress sticks when it’s rooted in both innovation and experience."
OK, Boomer vs. ‘Let the Youth Lead’: The False Choice That’s Breaking Us”
Experience Isn’t Irrelevant, Youth Isn’t Infallible, and Obi-Wan Still Had Wi-Fi
open.substack.com
September 2, 2025 at 9:53 PM
"Every generation gets their chance to make noise, and history proves youth often push us forward — from civil rights to climate activism. But progress sticks when it’s rooted in both innovation and experience."
"It's like showing up to play in a video game where everyone else spawned with armor and cheat codes, and you’re still figuring out how to hold the damn sword. Also, your controller is on fire."
Impostor Syndrome: A Case of Chronic Badass Denial
How to Slay in Spaces That Were Never Designed for You (While Quoting Kendrick and Questioning Reality)
pcbrownii.substack.com
August 19, 2025 at 5:44 PM
"It's like showing up to play in a video game where everyone else spawned with armor and cheat codes, and you’re still figuring out how to hold the damn sword. Also, your controller is on fire."
"There’s this ancient saying: “Fake it till you make it.” Cute. Until it becomes “Fake it and then teach a masterclass about it for $499 with three bonus modules.”
Rants, Ribs, and Red Pills: A Practical Politics Unplugged Variety Pack
A writer’s block edition featuring liver bros, YouTube dads, and emotionally constipated manfluencers
open.substack.com
August 12, 2025 at 5:53 PM
"There’s this ancient saying: “Fake it till you make it.” Cute. Until it becomes “Fake it and then teach a masterclass about it for $499 with three bonus modules.”
"Let’s keep it all the way real: we are in the middle of a coordinated assault on public education, civil rights, and basic historical accuracy. The folks in power are not debating — they’re dismantling."
Allies Bring Snacks. Accomplices Bring Bail Money.
Why Hashtag Solidarity Isn’t Enough in the Era of Book Bans, Budget Cuts, and Brunch-Induced Amnesia
pcbrownii.substack.com
August 5, 2025 at 4:27 PM
"Let’s keep it all the way real: we are in the middle of a coordinated assault on public education, civil rights, and basic historical accuracy. The folks in power are not debating — they’re dismantling."
But what happens when someone actually discovers something significant? Not a “how to clean your stove with ketchup” discovery, but something truly world-altering? That's when the moral obligations of innovation start to matter. Or as I call it: How to Technology-Proof Against Stupid People™.
Ctrl+Alt+Del Humanity
Or: How I Learned to Love Beyoncé, Hate AI, and Fear the Wi-Fi Going Down
pcbrownii.substack.com
July 29, 2025 at 4:58 PM
But what happens when someone actually discovers something significant? Not a “how to clean your stove with ketchup” discovery, but something truly world-altering? That's when the moral obligations of innovation start to matter. Or as I call it: How to Technology-Proof Against Stupid People™.
"Have you ever had one of those moments where you look around and ask, “Where are the smart and capable people?” You know, that creeping realization that someone should definitely be steering the ship..."
The Capable Ones Are Quietly Backing Into Their Parking Spots
Why You Should Worry When the Smart People Start Smiling Less and Packing Granola Bars
pcbrownii.substack.com
July 22, 2025 at 4:36 PM
"Have you ever had one of those moments where you look around and ask, “Where are the smart and capable people?” You know, that creeping realization that someone should definitely be steering the ship..."
“They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun… In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.”
Superman Ain’t Soft: Why Truth, Justice, and Being Good Is Still Revolutionary
In a world obsessed with anti-heroes, the last son of Krypton may be the radical hope we didn’t know we still needed.
pcbrownii.substack.com
July 15, 2025 at 4:44 PM
“They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun… In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.”
One of life’s few guarantees—aside from taxes and an unsolicited group chat about somebody’s baby shower—is that you will get older.
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/aging-loss...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/aging-loss...
Aging, Loss, and Funeral Olympics
Life Comes at You Fast—Sometimes in a Black Suit with a Tissue
pcbrownii.substack.com
June 24, 2025 at 4:26 PM
One of life’s few guarantees—aside from taxes and an unsolicited group chat about somebody’s baby shower—is that you will get older.
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/aging-loss...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/aging-loss...
"We now live in a society where a twice-impeached, 34-times-convicted felon can run for President and where lawmakers dodge their business loans like a Mission: Impossible stunt sequence....
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/rosy-retro...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/rosy-retro...
Rosy Retrospection & the Death of Consequences
How Nostalgia, Cognitive Bias, and a Consequence-Free Culture Made Everything Feel Like a Bad TikTok Trend
pcbrownii.substack.com
June 17, 2025 at 4:35 PM
"We now live in a society where a twice-impeached, 34-times-convicted felon can run for President and where lawmakers dodge their business loans like a Mission: Impossible stunt sequence....
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/rosy-retro...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/rosy-retro...
"Is American education designed to create people with agency or just really polite, obedient citizens who follow directions like NPCs in a video game?"
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/compliant-...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/compliant-...
Compliant, Not Competent: Why the Education System Is Producing Followers, Not Free Thinkers
How Kindergarten “Graduations,” Standardized Tests, and Performative Reform Are Dumbing Down Our Future
pcbrownii.substack.com
June 10, 2025 at 4:33 PM
"Is American education designed to create people with agency or just really polite, obedient citizens who follow directions like NPCs in a video game?"
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/compliant-...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/compliant-...
One of the coolest things about living in 2025—other than being able to DoorDash sushi at 2 AM—is that we have more information at our fingertips than the Library of Alexandria could dream of. The uncool part? A lot of us are knowledge-rich and understanding-poor.
Democracy, Dumb-ocracy, and the Rise of the Hashtag Expert
When Everyone’s an Expert Because They Watched a 3-Minute TikTok.
pcbrownii.substack.com
June 3, 2025 at 7:36 PM
One of the coolest things about living in 2025—other than being able to DoorDash sushi at 2 AM—is that we have more information at our fingertips than the Library of Alexandria could dream of. The uncool part? A lot of us are knowledge-rich and understanding-poor.
"Roughly 39% of Americans self-identify as introverts. I personally think that number is higher—many introverts probably saw the survey, thought about answering, then noped out and binge-watched The Great British Bake Off instead. Mood."
The Introvert’s Guide to the Galaxy
A Practical Field Manual for Navigating Loud Offices, Extroverted Expectations, and Forced Fun
pcbrownii.substack.com
May 27, 2025 at 4:25 PM
"Roughly 39% of Americans self-identify as introverts. I personally think that number is higher—many introverts probably saw the survey, thought about answering, then noped out and binge-watched The Great British Bake Off instead. Mood."
Professor X is seen as mutantkind’s moral compass—but look closer and he’s less Dumbledore, more Machiavelli with a PhD in manipulation.
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/mind-games...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/mind-games...
Mind Games & Moral Grey Zones: Professor X and the Ethics of Telepathy
Unmasking the Mutant Messiah: When the Dream Becomes a Nightmare
pcbrownii.substack.com
May 20, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Professor X is seen as mutantkind’s moral compass—but look closer and he’s less Dumbledore, more Machiavelli with a PhD in manipulation.
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/mind-games...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/mind-games...
If an org believes “talent needs us more than we need talent,” mediocrity is guaranteed. Talented folks know their worth—they’ll leave where they’re undervalued. Talent talks. The real question: is leadership willing to listen?
#lessonsinprofessionalism
#lessonsinprofessionalism
May 15, 2025 at 3:46 PM
If an org believes “talent needs us more than we need talent,” mediocrity is guaranteed. Talented folks know their worth—they’ll leave where they’re undervalued. Talent talks. The real question: is leadership willing to listen?
#lessonsinprofessionalism
#lessonsinprofessionalism
"Batman is a classic power fantasy. He’s what happens when you combine grief, privilege, and an Olympic training regimen."
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/cape-cowl-...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/cape-cowl-...
Cape, Cowl, and Capitalism
Why Batman Is Less Hero and More Rich Guy With a Trauma Budget
pcbrownii.substack.com
May 13, 2025 at 4:08 PM
"Batman is a classic power fantasy. He’s what happens when you combine grief, privilege, and an Olympic training regimen."
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/cape-cowl-...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/cape-cowl-...
.....if you’ve never had that experience because you’ve always been in spaces designed with your comfort in mind, I’m going to ask you nicely: listen first, listen long, and don’t start with the “whataboutisms” because your feelings get a little... "uncomfy."
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/one-is-the...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/one-is-the...
One Is the Loneliest Number" — And Other Survival Tips for Being the Only Black Person in the Room
Because Sometimes It’s Less "Friends" and More "The Hunger Games"
pcbrownii.substack.com
May 6, 2025 at 10:35 PM
.....if you’ve never had that experience because you’ve always been in spaces designed with your comfort in mind, I’m going to ask you nicely: listen first, listen long, and don’t start with the “whataboutisms” because your feelings get a little... "uncomfy."
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/one-is-the...
pcbrownii.substack.com/p/one-is-the...
Stress is the Olympic torch we all pass around—except we’re all running with it at the same time, the track is on fire, and we’re being chased by genetically modified saber-toothed tigers.
Stress & The City
Why Modern Life Feels Like a Group Project You Didn't Sign Up For
pcbrownii.substack.com
April 29, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Stress is the Olympic torch we all pass around—except we’re all running with it at the same time, the track is on fire, and we’re being chased by genetically modified saber-toothed tigers.