Without the ability and inclination to read deeply, we lose foundational capacities to understand issues, weigh facts, debate respectfully, empathise with different views, separate truth from falsehood, and engage intellectually with media
you can overanalyze transphobia all you want—“is it fear? is it insecurity? is it x, y, or z” sure, knock yourself out. but 80% of the time, it’s just raw, unfiltered dumbfuckassholery. no need for a ted talk.
Can’t believe JD Vance spent 2 years auditioning for the “fascist boy band” gig and still got cut in favor of Musk, who just hummed the PayPal theme song into the mic
We have to consciously apply critical reading skills to modern media instead of reacting reflexively
Read more 👉 www.joanwestenberg.com/the-death…
I find it disturbing that we have created a culture that praises pessimism and laughs at optimism.
friendly reminder that while technology evolves, human nature doesn’t
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 →
All of this hinges on “Bayesian updating”: you start with an initial probability, or “prior,” based on what you believe about the world, then adjust that belief as new data comes to light.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 →
Is Cultural Technical Debt Sabotaging Our Survival?
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 →
it’s reassuring to know that the most vocal leftist influencers are laser-focused on the greatest challenge of our time: the size of their audience on bluesky
We have to actively choose not to share, to resist the temptation to post, to keep our thoughts and experiences to ourselves.
my roommate michael moore keeps calling our shitty vacuum “a metaphor for the broken promise of Detroit.” no, michael, it’s just clogged with your hair. please clean it
When I look at how I’ve been able to grow my network, to grow my audience, to write for publications from Wired to the SF Chronicle, the act of showing up regularly is what has always made the difference.
Read more 👉 www.joanwestenberg.com/just-show…
Something deeply fucking annoying about accounts with literally tens of thousands of followers complaining that they don’t get enough engagement and attention while some creators are struggling to get over 100 followers while pouring their heart and soul into their work.
For all my cynicism and shitposts, I’m actually a radical optimist—I just think we have to burn through the illusions before we can build what’s real. But it’s broadly choosing optimism that allows me to write / create / think etc.
sucking up to the media elite is just competitive beige-ness. I’ll stick with the weirdos dismantling the machine while they’re busy polishing the gears.
my feed is 90% people talking about the collapse of civilization and then suddenly it’s “stop sleeping on these 10 branding hacks” mate we’ll all be sleeping the deep sleep soon enough but keep up the good work
Why ‘Non-Frequentist Probabilities’ Are Gaining Ground
Can we “refactor” our cultural operating system without erasing the very essence of what makes us human?
We’ve reached a point where it’s not about left vs. right, it’s about truth vs. manufactured reality. If you don’t choose wisely, you’re becoming a pawn in someone else’s game.
someone said “you’re quiet, but i can tell you’re observing everything.” no, i’m not. i’m just dissociating so hard that I legally ceased to exist for three minutes.