the ego-driven folly of election "takes"
"Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall."
I’ve written a lot about elections in the past. When it comes to U.S. electoral politics, I spilled barrels of ink desperately trying to help others recognize the hustle.
I’d repeat over and over: “The primary difference between Democrats and Republicans is that they tell different lies to get elected.”
As you’ve probably noticed, I now prefer to focus on ways that each of us can create and contribute to authentic change. I’ll come back to that later but first, I must admit that I do occasionally peruse the candidate-related “hot takes.”
Almost without fail, they are pride-driven, doom-promoting, more-radical-than-thou rants that garner plenty of Substack subscribers, comments, and shares.
I originally planned to reference a few specific, recent examples but I’ve opted to not do so. It seems to me this would just make an important lesson appear like nothing more than a personal attack.
So, for now, I ask: What is the purpose of such takes?
They have a less-than-zero impact on the voting [sic] itself. And, as with nearly all opinion writing (regardless of ideology), it’s virtue signaling aimed primarily at doom scrollers.
I know this because I did it for a while. Here’s how it works:
You gain an audience mostly because you can more articulately state what your audience members are thinking. And never forget: That audience found you in the first place because algorithms herded them into like-minded echo chambers.
Your eloquent rants reinforce the readers’ externally imposed beliefs without anyone ever having to conjure up a single original thought or (heaven forbid) counterpoint.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of content consumers in the world will never witness your “genius” because your posts are digitally prevented from reaching anywhere beyond your hive mind.
Result: Nothing changes — except a writer’s vanity metrics (and sometimes their bank account).
Again, I’m not talking about any particular writer — there are too many to list anyway. This is a rampant, longstanding, and conveniently ignored trend.
The focus of my post today is on so-called election takes. But the blueprint I discuss here is the same for immigration, Israel-Gaza, climate change, pandemic-related interpretations, etc.
My hot take is that you can provide a far greater service to the world by inspiring others to explore their internal motivations with urgency and curiosity.
What do they believe and why? Or perhaps: What do they think they believe and who is implanting opinions within them?
Are the people with whom you practice groupthink your friends or would they drop you in a heartbeat if you challenged their pre-programmed version of conventional wisdom?
To bring things back to the topic of “election hot takes,” do you believe real power springs from politicians? Do you think anyone needs such leaders [sic]?
Why does this election mean more to you than any other diversionary tactic?
What's your goal when you dedicate time and energy to the exhibitionist venting about the behavior of this professional criminal or that?
How can you instead channel your discontent into productive actions that offer palpable relief and measurable change in the lives of others?
If you feed your pride by virtue signaling, I believe you’re more likely to also embrace doom-scrolling. After all, the worse the world looks to you, the more you think it needs your distinctive brand of understanding.
To willingly succumb to the whims of algorithms and cultish narratives is to lose your autonomy and surrender any chance of creating much-needed coalitions.
It does not matter which “side” you’re on. If we don’t change within, the same cycles will just keep playing and re-playing.
The Powers That Shouldn’t Be™ love it when we take unnuanced stances and demonize anyone who doesn’t march in lockstep with us. They fear our solidarity and thus work 365/24/7 to divide us.
Conversely, the Parasite Class™ is powerless to thwart anyone who commits to persistent introspection. They cower when faced with folks who choose to connect with and help those within their reach — even people with whom they disagree.
To defeat evil requires us to remain reachable and teachable.
We can all do so much better than this, friends.
Let’s stop with the fruitless public posturing and start developing sovereign ears to hear.
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The parasite class! I will steal that! :))
It used to be: noblesse oblige...
Have a good one!!
🙏🙂 thanks!