CxD #184: 🏝🌻

Jul 25, 2021

There is no end to the illusions of patriotism. In the first century of our era, Plutarch mocked those who declared that the Athenian moon is better than the Corinthian moon; Milton, in the seventeenth, observed that God is in the habit of revealing Himself first to His Englishmen; Fichte, at the beginning of the nineteenth, declared that to have character and to be German are obviously one and the same thing.
~ Jorge Luis Borge, “Our Poor Individualism”

Some thoughtful views on the tension between being alone and being part of a collective:

Self-reliance does not mean isolation. Remember that individualists suffer in collectivist settings not because they think for themselves, but because they tend to become isolated and friendless. I have never seen any evidence that individualists are less social than collectivists, or suffer less from loneliness. Almost no one thrives in isolation.
But that doesn’t mean you have to suppress your individuality to make friends with people who simply don’t get you. For example, does your workplace demand a suffocating degree of conformism in its culture? Are you uncomfortable in the way you are expected to dress, talk, and act? It might be a good idea to look at the job market. Similarly, if you are a student, does your school value and protect a diversity of viewpoints, or is only one way of thinking acceptable? If the latter, you might want to study elsewhere, at a place that values independent thought, if that’s possible for you.
Second, do think for yourself. In a world that is moved by ideas, there is arguably no greater force for progress than intellectual nonconformism. We have no other way to solve previously unsolvable problems, and the adventure of doing so is boundless.
This requires allowing others to think for themselves as well. America’s polarized culture has an alarming tendency to proclaim, when it comes to opinions, “Individualism for me, but collectivism for thee.” Part of being a true individualist is fighting for the right of others to not conform to conventional ideas. Each of us can do this by defying those who would curb free speech in politics, in business, and on campuses. It is especially effective when we stand up to bullies on our own side of the debate.

Full essay here.

3. What happens to you on the inside when your brain is convinced you’re right but the facts say otherwise?

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.
~John Maxwell

6. Exciting things are in the works for CxD. But first a question for you to ponder and comment on: how interested would you be in being part of a CxD community that gets to know and interact and engage with each other over time?

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