The poisoning of public discourse
Chung van Gog, 02 February 2023
I am worried about our increasingly fascist public discourse. I do not know what to do about it, but I cannot simply sit back and accept it. I need to find ways to resist. Here is a first sketch at a (linguistic) proto-strategy.
- Use moderation
- Be precise
- Defend common-sense morality
- Speak honestly and kindly
- Find your own language
- Read unpopular books
- Think through words
- Call out poor behavior
- Always verify sources
- Listen more than you speak
- Avoid extremism like the plague
Far from perfect, but it’s a beginning.