Crooked Timber and Harper’s are Weird Pessimist publications. Most academics in the humanities are Weird Pessimists.
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My own cards on table: I was raised by Normal Pessimist parents (self-made immigrants) and respect Normal Pessimism but don’t always like it; I’m a Weird Optimist by nature, but I’ve flirted with Normal Optimism on and off; most of my friends are Weird Pessimists.
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I think the best hope for the future is probably the Weird Pessimist/Weird Optimist/Normal Pessimist alliance.
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Normal Optimism is Winnerism. Support whoever is winning, believe whatever gives you relative social power. Follow and amplify incentive gradients. Of course it’s healthy to want to win — and a fair critique of Weird Pessimists that they have an unhealthy resentment of success.
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But throwing all resources into a zero-sum conflict destroys the possibility of any future for humans.
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There’s a Normal Optimist thing that’s *just* being supportive and encouraging, without trying to take resources or status away from anybody else, and I think it’s mostly good, just unlikely to be very influential.
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End of conversation
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