This is a great example of the neoliberalization of the brain:
This is not possible, sustainable or desirable. A state of constant unhappiness with what is turns people into an insatiable abyss of raging desire. A mad rush for better, shinier, newer, and always more, more, more is contrary to the optimal state for the human brain, which is stasis. Acceptance contributes more to contentment than change. The idea that we should be striving “to make the world a better place” is hubristic.
Introduce DEI.
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Clarissa: That explains partially the popularity of weed amendments and endless social media consumption of fantasy lives and realities.
A lot of people just dissociate and go into denial. What me worry?
Is there a non trivial amount of people who seriously think or push for the world view of “The present is the same, neither better or worse, and that’s fine! Let’s keep the status quo which is fine and dandy! For the future!”
Do you think that’s also part of a neoliberal world view?
How do you associate stasis, contentment and optimism? Because perhaps making the world “a better place” is hubristic, but it feels like the opposite and letting go (and letting things get worse by implication) is depressive and defeatist?
I distinguish making the world “a better place” from “shinier and newer” because “shinier and newer” isn’t always better (to me). Oh, well, I am neoliberal to my core because I swim, breathe, was conceived and will probably die in it.
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“I distinguish making the world “a better place” from “shinier and newer””
Real improvement usually take time and is incremental… neoliberals are all bout ‘creative destruction’ they like to dismantle anything and everything (no matter how well it works) for the principle of creating new ‘opportunities’ for consumption.
Maybe to people who aren’t in education this phrase doesn’t sound as obnoxious but we are pummeled with it almost as much as we are with “critical thinking.” We are told our role is to teach students how to make the world a better place, and I find this nuts. I just want to teach them to speak Spanish and not propose any world-changing goals.
Tangential:
Crime stats… just another thing that’s “always getting better”
The people doing the lecturing will conveniently never see that update in their little news silos.
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
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