The Cult of Cancel Culture Kills…
Cancel culture kills or at least dwarfs the evolution of ideas, good or bad.
Let’s face it, I’ve said things online and in person that I regret saying and I’m sure you have as well. But I learned something from saying them. This is why freedom of speech and expression is a principle enshrined in most democratic countries so long as it doesn’t victimize anyone. But we’re moving away from that with this cult of cancel culture. I would even argue that it is a form of moral decay.
It makes people feel guilty for their thoughts before they even verbalize them.
In order for one to say the “right” thing sometimes, one has to start with a thot, and then refine it until it becomes a legible and intelligible entity that is comprehensible. It’s the individual pursuit of creating something. And if it’s wrong or more appropriately destructive we will never know unless it’s spoken or written. In other words, your ideas are put out into the real world for others to hear or read and subsequently respond to. Reflection then occurs which results in either the adoption or disposal of an idea. That process is prematurely capitulated with cancel culture.
It thwarts creative freedom of thought and expression. The suppression of thoughts is the most dangerous and slippery slope you can travel on. Innovation, personal development, and morality die as a result. Simply said we need to talk things out. Good or bad. So we can learn from one another.
I hope one day we look back on this destructive behaviour and reflect on it. More importantly to learn from it. Constructive debate and public engagement with the ultimate goal to learn from one another is one thing. It’s another thing to destroy a person’s livelihood because of something they said simply because you don’t agree with them or because it runs contrary to the consensus of the times. Consensus does not equate to truth. It’s ok to disagree. Politely. Not every interaction has to result in a Nassim Nicholas Taleb style of publicly obliterating your opponent on Twitter.
(In the rare instance you read this Nassim, I am a fan. Don’t cancel me.)
