“You would present these kinds of arguments, the idea went, and that would somehow be enough to win the debate. You just speak the truth to power, and it will unravel the whole mess.”
“Simply being right about particular issues—and all of you here who have been fighting these battles for decades know this—hasn’t made a dent in the broader diversity agenda.”
Rahul -- I’m so grateful you spent time with this article -- and expanded on it!
The two quotes above were pearls I was drawn to.
Reason and logic, no matter how solid they might be, are not the drivers of change. Changing humanity/culture requires touching hearts and souls? As demonstrated by MLK, Gandhi, Mandela... and many more. Even Katherine Johnson, the NASA computer made a bigger change than Thiel’s thesis ever could. She touched people’s hearts -- their sense of “doing right” by all.
And!!! You’re welcome. My energy perks faster than the coffee pot in these types of discussions. 😂
Magical Math, Mutual Joy
The job of the writer is to make revolution irresistible. ~ Toni Cade Bambara
And as John Cheever so wisely shared: “I cannot write without a reader. It is precisely like a kiss -- you can’t do it alone.”
Hah hah!!
Your quotes are awesome. I have been reading your posts and I don't fully know the story but the quotes are awesome!
BTW there is one poem you may like...
https://allpoetry.com/The-Power-Of-Words
The muse are characters that are based on parts of my personality.
Thalia is heart and passion. She is girly, fun-loving, and a little loud. Spirit.
Urania is brains, reason, logic. She loves to be organized, on time, and frugal. Ego.
Calliope is the harmonizer (or soul factor) mediating the spirit and the ego.
All a bunch of words and labels open to interpretation!
Speaking of... What does the poem mean to you?
“You would present these kinds of arguments, the idea went, and that would somehow be enough to win the debate. You just speak the truth to power, and it will unravel the whole mess.”
“Simply being right about particular issues—and all of you here who have been fighting these battles for decades know this—hasn’t made a dent in the broader diversity agenda.”
Rahul -- I’m so grateful you spent time with this article -- and expanded on it!
The two quotes above were pearls I was drawn to.
Reason and logic, no matter how solid they might be, are not the drivers of change. Changing humanity/culture requires touching hearts and souls? As demonstrated by MLK, Gandhi, Mandela... and many more. Even Katherine Johnson, the NASA computer made a bigger change than Thiel’s thesis ever could. She touched people’s hearts -- their sense of “doing right” by all.
https://youtu.be/hNK8FCFpmm4
Even though Thiel’s thesis might be spot on, all it likely did was create resistance in those who “don’t want to hear it”.
Indeed emotion is better motivator than logic or reason.
I believe it was from the book Curious by Ian Leslie that I learned Fiction is a superior tool for initiating changes of heart. :)