Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Robert Wringham's avatar

This might surprise you, but I don't agree with Browne in that letter at all. On paper and in legality it might be true that nobody owes you anything, but it's far too literal an interpretation of the world, too brutal to hold dear as a way of seeing life. It's too Libertarian for me and points to a very lonely path indeed. It denies that there are such things as community or society. We *do* owe each other respect. We *do* have a duty to behave well to each other, to give each other the time of day. It's true that we can't always expect those things from others and we can't take it for granted when we do, but it's only because of people with attitudes like Browne's that we too often don't. "No one has to like you, no one has to respect you," but why wouldn't they? Just be cool is what I say. Be cool to yourself, be cool to others, give people the benefit of the doubt unless they give you clear reason not to. Browne isn't cool going by that letter: he sounds like an uptight prick!

Expand full comment
Daniel Appleton's avatar

I tried to appeal to the rationality that I thought that one of my hyper - conservative Evangelical cousins had, but I guess that said rationality was a MIRAGE, a phantom, a figment of my imagination. Rationality, discernment & CRITICAL THINKING, etc. are pretty much ALIEN to her.

Expand full comment
4 more comments...

No posts