You've summed things up so succinctly! This is the bit I'm talking about: "I was finally able to see the SJW subculture for what it was: a cynical, hyper-individualized reaction to decades of leftist losses that chose symbolic representation over coalition-building that could meaningfully improve the material conditions of normal people’s lives."
I'm a novelist, and it was fascinating/heartbreaking to hear about your experience trying to write fiction that accorded with your mindset at its most extreme. It brought to mind an advice column for writers I read when the SJW mindset was most ascendant, where a white male writer expressed concern about centering his own identity through his work and the columnist suggested that he should submit fewer pieces for publication. A light bulb went off in my brain that this way of thinking just couldn't be compatible with being an artist (aesthetically or professionally). Anyway, I'm glad you're in a better place now and hope you give yourself a chance to write some stories.
"who thought saving the world started with hating it." That summarizes entirely too much of Blue Tribe thought. YOU CAN'T BUILD ANYTHING IF ALL YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IS DECONSTRUCT. I know there are social justice advocates building, but so many SJWs come across as kids squatting in the towers stronger people built for them, talking about how much they want to tear it down (collateral damage? what's that?). Unfortunately, building is hard, while tearing down is easy and scores you points on social media.
What an excellent piece. Just out of interest, have you found yourself applying the same reflective thought processes to any other areas of your life (political or non-political)?
"It was no longer tempting to be an insufferable know-it-all, because I realized that no matter what the other person had said or done, the only dependable outcome would be both of us feeling awful." Well said. I always try to use this insight to guide disagreements towards curiosity and exploration rather than forcing them towards points I'd like to make, or a failed attempt to "dunk" on someone.
In your last paragraph you described positive attributes of leftist folk that are the kind I’d like to hear from/about if you could list. The truth seeking kind maintaining a sensitivity about life. Thank you.
I am no longer part of the left (a good few years have gone by), but what you wrote indicates honest self reflection. Even though we're not in the same political side, I find what you wrote inspiring and well worth sharing, because it's an honest pursuit of truth. Whether in politics, family, art or any walk of life, isn't it the best feeling? to live in that pursuit, rather than trying to force truth to our default stances? It's very important to have a truth based left, to balance the right. In the grand scheme, it's about that balance, which can only be achieved via honesty. Keep up the good work!
I feel this. I divested from so-called "leftist circles" because of this. I'm not gonna sit around and listen to anyone tell me how I have "white privilege" when I grew up piss poor right across the street from black folks, when I came from a family that is historically poor and owns zero land in this country, when many of us including myself have been criminalized in our own communities and incarcerated as both juveniles *and* adults, and when "race" is merely a made up social construct. Capitalism/Imperialism doesn't care about "whiteness", SJWs do. Capitalism/Imperialism cares about exploitation and extraction, and it doesn't matter what people it chooses to victimize. In my opinion, "leftist" is what you call yourself when your either a liberal doing cos-play or when you are too spineless to call your politics what they are I.E. communism, anarchism, etc. I found a group of other poor white trash/rednecks to organize with and we built a community institution that fixes cars in a mid-sized city with a terrible public transit system. It's on a donation/pay-what-you-can basis, or cost of parts only until you can make a donation or contribution. That community institution was built and then handed over to the very community that it serves and now the people run it. We'd all been sickened by the hyper-focus on identity politics, as it was getting people nowhere. It was becoming the Oppression Olympics. We weren't going to play that game any longer, so we divested and did our own thing. Also, most of those so-called "leftist-organizations" who pander to identity politics also still believe that the ballot box will get them a "win". Even the ones with "Socialists" in the name. It's a joke. I'd rather just hang out with ordinary people like myself and talk shit and shoot at beer cans. America is a falling empire. "Checking your white privilege" isn't going to help anyone survive once Rome starts burning. White privilege is bullshit. It's a farce that alienates hundreds of thousands if not millions of people who might otherwise be on board with creating a new world.
You've summed things up so succinctly! This is the bit I'm talking about: "I was finally able to see the SJW subculture for what it was: a cynical, hyper-individualized reaction to decades of leftist losses that chose symbolic representation over coalition-building that could meaningfully improve the material conditions of normal people’s lives."
BAM! Wow.
I have learned a great deal from your writing, thank you. Love your curiosity.
Nisargadatta Maharaj once said, Your own path is the only one that will take you anywhere. Because it is the only one that is your path.
I'm a novelist, and it was fascinating/heartbreaking to hear about your experience trying to write fiction that accorded with your mindset at its most extreme. It brought to mind an advice column for writers I read when the SJW mindset was most ascendant, where a white male writer expressed concern about centering his own identity through his work and the columnist suggested that he should submit fewer pieces for publication. A light bulb went off in my brain that this way of thinking just couldn't be compatible with being an artist (aesthetically or professionally). Anyway, I'm glad you're in a better place now and hope you give yourself a chance to write some stories.
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/p/sobriety-and-wokeism-are-diametrically-d59
"who thought saving the world started with hating it." That summarizes entirely too much of Blue Tribe thought. YOU CAN'T BUILD ANYTHING IF ALL YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IS DECONSTRUCT. I know there are social justice advocates building, but so many SJWs come across as kids squatting in the towers stronger people built for them, talking about how much they want to tear it down (collateral damage? what's that?). Unfortunately, building is hard, while tearing down is easy and scores you points on social media.
Thank you for writing this. It's hard. I feel you. Lo Siento.
i want to be your friend.
What an excellent piece. Just out of interest, have you found yourself applying the same reflective thought processes to any other areas of your life (political or non-political)?
i like this….it reminds me of this idea that we’ve been pressured to flatten art into a categorized propaganda machine
"It was no longer tempting to be an insufferable know-it-all, because I realized that no matter what the other person had said or done, the only dependable outcome would be both of us feeling awful." Well said. I always try to use this insight to guide disagreements towards curiosity and exploration rather than forcing them towards points I'd like to make, or a failed attempt to "dunk" on someone.
Welcome back to humanity. Glad you're here. 🇺🇸
Take the hog ring out of your nose, n then we'll talk.
In your last paragraph you described positive attributes of leftist folk that are the kind I’d like to hear from/about if you could list. The truth seeking kind maintaining a sensitivity about life. Thank you.
I am no longer part of the left (a good few years have gone by), but what you wrote indicates honest self reflection. Even though we're not in the same political side, I find what you wrote inspiring and well worth sharing, because it's an honest pursuit of truth. Whether in politics, family, art or any walk of life, isn't it the best feeling? to live in that pursuit, rather than trying to force truth to our default stances? It's very important to have a truth based left, to balance the right. In the grand scheme, it's about that balance, which can only be achieved via honesty. Keep up the good work!
It sounds just horrid.
I feel this. I divested from so-called "leftist circles" because of this. I'm not gonna sit around and listen to anyone tell me how I have "white privilege" when I grew up piss poor right across the street from black folks, when I came from a family that is historically poor and owns zero land in this country, when many of us including myself have been criminalized in our own communities and incarcerated as both juveniles *and* adults, and when "race" is merely a made up social construct. Capitalism/Imperialism doesn't care about "whiteness", SJWs do. Capitalism/Imperialism cares about exploitation and extraction, and it doesn't matter what people it chooses to victimize. In my opinion, "leftist" is what you call yourself when your either a liberal doing cos-play or when you are too spineless to call your politics what they are I.E. communism, anarchism, etc. I found a group of other poor white trash/rednecks to organize with and we built a community institution that fixes cars in a mid-sized city with a terrible public transit system. It's on a donation/pay-what-you-can basis, or cost of parts only until you can make a donation or contribution. That community institution was built and then handed over to the very community that it serves and now the people run it. We'd all been sickened by the hyper-focus on identity politics, as it was getting people nowhere. It was becoming the Oppression Olympics. We weren't going to play that game any longer, so we divested and did our own thing. Also, most of those so-called "leftist-organizations" who pander to identity politics also still believe that the ballot box will get them a "win". Even the ones with "Socialists" in the name. It's a joke. I'd rather just hang out with ordinary people like myself and talk shit and shoot at beer cans. America is a falling empire. "Checking your white privilege" isn't going to help anyone survive once Rome starts burning. White privilege is bullshit. It's a farce that alienates hundreds of thousands if not millions of people who might otherwise be on board with creating a new world.