this is the post that pushed me over the edge to become a paid subscriber. ☺️ i appreciate all your bold takes & thoughtful musings, but your willingness to stand in the "field beyond right & wrong"... and more importantly, openly speak & question from that place is priceless to me. thank you!! 🙏
Wow, thank you kyia! That means so much to me, truly. I find this is something I have to actively practice, otherwise it's easy to fall into the self-censoring/sanitizing version of me, which doesn't produce much anything of value AND feels inauthentic to who I actually am (and aspire to be). Tysm for the support, you have my eternal gratitude. Ty ty
Maybe the decision to bail says more about them than it does about you. I’ve been a free subscriber for a short time, debating whether or not I should go all in. The debate is over. I’m in.
I think you're right, John. I believe their decisions reflect a rigidity and a refusal to stop and consider a different viewpoint. Open minds benefit everyone, I believe. It's how we grow.
I appreciated your a/b article. As others have written, reading different perspectives helps me to think outside of my lane, if you will, which is required if I want to continue to learn & grow as I age. Our world is constantly changing & evolving. Clinging to long-held stances without considering other viewpoints can cause one to be dull, stuck & without curiosity. I have, in fact, read the article twice & probably will do so again. Thank you for continually sparking us to think.
Thanks so much, Terry. More than anything else, I hope to provide people with little windows into other perspectives, regardless of if they end up changing their minds. Because I agree with you, staying curious is how we continue to grow—and closed mindedness is antithetical to self-actualization. And to your point, makes you rather dull :)
I wondered how people would take that one..while I totally understand what you’re saying and appreciate the viewpoint, it still made me a little uncomfortable. But that’s why I follow you - your writing tends to do that to me, which I think is a good thing. You took me from an ardent anti AI person to having a more moderate stance on it. I also think your approach is much less emotionally charged..and with all the rage bait out there right now, I really appreciate nuanced, critical thinking. I haven’t found many other people out there with a mind like yours, so bravo and keep going!
Thanks so much for these kind words and feedback, Jaclyn. Sorry for making you uncomfortable! I make myself uncomfortable sometimes if I'm being totally honest. When I was growing up, people would describe my personality as "a lot" because I've always tended to say the quiet parts out loud—which... makes some people uncomfortable. I've noticed, though, that the people I tend to become closest with, are usually people who felt like you do. I've heard I'm an acquired taste LOL
I really just like exploring new ideas and new perspectives and updating the lenses I use to view the world. It feels like there's no better way to do that than to let the ideas touch reality and share them with other people for feedback—even when it's in the form of criticism or discomfort. I think most issues are incredibly nuanced, and it kills me when I see people arguing about topics from ideological extremes. I sometimes come across a little harsh when I'm speaking with a lot of conviction, but for the most part, I truly do try to consider every side and perspective before drawing any conclusions.
I'm rambling, apologies. I'll wrap up by saying this: I'm thrilled to hear you've shifted your position slightly on AI. I try not to talk about it TOO much, but it's such a huge part of our reality (and is continuing to shape our future daily) that I find it hard to stay away. Let me know if there are any areas you'd like me to explore more deeply in that regard. Always nice hearing from people when they're attacking the issues in good faith, and from a place of genuine curiosity :)
It's ironic that your subscribers are sorting themselves out in regard to free thinking by unsubscribing. Thanks for your clear support for ambiguity. Tolerance (at least) for ambiguity is necessary for learning. And I loved your reframe of Florida's new policy as A/B testing (although I might be more upset were I a Floridian). I'm upgrading to paid on the strength of these two posts.
It is ironic, indeed... And you raise a funny point because I'm not sure how I'd feel if I were a Floridian. I guess it's easy to talk about this grand experiment from the safety of Nevada. Thanks so much for your kind words and support, Deborah. I'm trying to make writing my full time gig by 2026 so your support truly means the world to me. Ty ty.
As someone who hasn't lived in the USA but has spent his life watching what transpires there, I've noticed a couple of things that are related. The first, and the most obvious, is that the US has become a much more polarized country. Second, the polarization intensified with the arrival of social media. The us vs. them mentality is rampant. But the USA is not alone. The same thing has happened in Brazil. With the demise of social places where people can meet and discuss various ideas, online shouting matches have taken over. There was so much hope, as you pointed out ealier, when the internet first arrived, only to vanish as the algorithms of increasing user engagement took over.
Your post wasn't about a choice of values. It was about the value of information and a chance to test whether what many "think is true" is really true.
Obviously there are some risks involved, but there are risks in assuming that one knows everything also. I expect that for anyone who will be honest about the facts, no matter which side they are on, that there will be surprising and useful information.
No idea about what motivates other people, but if I only wanted to read what I'm already thinking I might as well spend the whole day looking at my reflection in the mirror. Why would I do that? And even though I don't share all of your insights, I still consider them important and necessary.
It does always surprise me when people only want to see things they agree with. It truly does sound just soooo boring. I always appreciate the thoughtful dialogue, ty.
ST, I think that you are absolutely brilliant and everything that I've read that you've written proves that...especially this article about Florida and the value it represents to our Republic.
You will get more subscribers than you will lose, I'll bet, because you are as authentic as authentic can be, and anyone that you would love to have as a subscriber gets that. Watch and see! You Go Girl!
Thank you so much. I've received lots of positive feedback and words of encouragement today, which was helpful because I think my frustrations were starting to get the better of me (hence why I felt compelled to write this piece this morning lol) Appreciate the kind words. x
You're most welcome, ST! I am a truthseeker from way back and have been at it for a very long time. I take pride in my discernment, as a result. I've been fooled, of course, and will likely be fooled again, but in this current climate, when I read the words of someone such as yourself, it gives me true hope and passion that...
We Can Make It Work! God bless you, precious Lady of the Light! I mean that...
A lot of people cannot bear to have their beliefs challenged in any way. I've noticed at investment discussion sites, someone pointing out issues with (for example, Apple) will be immediately met with accusations of "you must be a short" or "you don't understand technology", etc. One would think that someone invested in a company would be eager to hear about potential problems with it that may have previously escaped their notice, but evidently not, in many cases.
So true. And great examples. People really do just want others to confirm what they think they already know. It's so refreshing to meet people who have *actual* open minds and actively like being challenged.
Reminds me of the book Collective Illusions by Todd Rose. On how we ended up so polarized and attached to these ideological beliefs to begin with—ofc most of it is rooted in the various types of biases.
Yeah, this hyper-partisan environment is so toxic, like literally you can't have an opinion or say anything about any matter unless you take a side. It's the reason why America is so polarized.
It's so frustrating to make a benign statement and hear someone politicize it... it makes me shut down faster than anything else tbh. Bc it shows they're only willing to look at the world through a political lens—and sometimes things just aren't that political 🤷🏻♀️
Never stop writing. You're thoughtful and articulate and I love every word. Should I disagree with you, I still appreciate your measured approach to everything which is usually backed up by solid statements and arguments. You're smart and it's wonderful. Thank you. (Also, side emails? I hope they meant to discuss privately instead of a public shame fest but that may be a generous take. It's like they don't know how to read. And also,--ew.)
Some of my best friends have vastly different opinions on many topics than I do. I think that's actually WHY they're my best friends. They challenge me and every so often someone does end up changing their minds. Through the jokes and little nudges, we plant seeds of truth—sometimes they just take time to grow. And other times, those seeds were wrong, in which case we admit as much as move on. I'll never understand the people who only want to associate with people who are *just like them*, it seems so brutally boring. I'm always open to respectful, engaging dialogue with people who are arguing in good faith. I welcome it, in fact :)
I have zero desire to read boring, unoriginal writers, regardless of whether they reinforce or attack my own biases. The reason I'm here is because you are not one of them and are in fact one of the more original, interesting thinkers on the internet.
As long as you keep that up, I don't care if you say the most "offensive" things imaginable. (Even so, favoring A/B testing across different states vis-a-vis vaccine mandates is the furthest thing from offensive.)
Thanks so much, DH, I appreciate that. It's wild how many people *do* only want to read the things they agree with, though. It's actually somewhat concerning (which is probably why I felt compelled to write this piece this morning to begin with lol). I trust that my real audience is intelligent enough to tolerate dissent and make up their own minds. Anyone who isn't, probably isn't my demographic anyway—and I'm learning to be okay with that :)
Oh my. That’s unfortunate. I know… How weird is it that this happens on substack! I’ve had people go kind of ballistic on me, too, but I actually don’t have the energy to wrangle with them, so I just take down the “piñata“ and move on.
Am I being silenced? Maybe. But I figure that the people who agree with me or who would benefit from hearing me say what I say may already agree with me, anyway, and they have their own minds to make up. And the people who come after me are just looking for a reason.
So…Whatever. I’ve got plenty of other things to talk about…
I used to do that sometimes, but I felt like something in deleting my real opinions just didn't sit right with me. Now, when they come after me, I simply mute the thread and forget about it. Ironically, the few times they've come after me the hardest (all on topics surrounding AI), it's when my account has grown the fastest. I think there's a middle ground where we learn to harness the hate as a type of fuel. Definitely easier said than done, though, and it's still something I'm practicing every single day. Thanks for the comment, Kay, keep doing you.
Thanks – oh, absolutely, it doesn’t sit right with me to delete my comments or my notes. I’m still working on my approach to it, and I may just mute things, it’s just so surprising and offputting, the views that people feel about this stuff, when Most of what they’re bringing to the table is opinion that doesn’t have much to do with what I’ve observed, myself.
I feel like I’m in a parallel universe sometimes, and parallels by definition don’t intersect, so there’s really no point in me leaving something out there, if all it does is distract me. Yes, I could mute it, and I probably will do that in the future,so it’s all evolving.
Fortunately, there’s plenty more of me to go around, so I can step away from these little annoying instances and keep putting myself out there. I’m not sure if I could ever stop, come to think of it lol
this is the post that pushed me over the edge to become a paid subscriber. ☺️ i appreciate all your bold takes & thoughtful musings, but your willingness to stand in the "field beyond right & wrong"... and more importantly, openly speak & question from that place is priceless to me. thank you!! 🙏
Wow, thank you kyia! That means so much to me, truly. I find this is something I have to actively practice, otherwise it's easy to fall into the self-censoring/sanitizing version of me, which doesn't produce much anything of value AND feels inauthentic to who I actually am (and aspire to be). Tysm for the support, you have my eternal gratitude. Ty ty
The only way we learn? By reading opposing POVs. That's why I've subscribed to Stephanie's substack.
Hopefully we're not opposed ALL the time :)
Maybe the decision to bail says more about them than it does about you. I’ve been a free subscriber for a short time, debating whether or not I should go all in. The debate is over. I’m in.
Oh wow, thanks so much, John. I'm trying to do this 100% full time by 2026, so your support means the world to me.
You’re welcome. I’ve enjoyed pretty much everything I’ve read over the past few weeks.
I think you're right, John. I believe their decisions reflect a rigidity and a refusal to stop and consider a different viewpoint. Open minds benefit everyone, I believe. It's how we grow.
😊
I appreciated your a/b article. As others have written, reading different perspectives helps me to think outside of my lane, if you will, which is required if I want to continue to learn & grow as I age. Our world is constantly changing & evolving. Clinging to long-held stances without considering other viewpoints can cause one to be dull, stuck & without curiosity. I have, in fact, read the article twice & probably will do so again. Thank you for continually sparking us to think.
Thanks so much, Terry. More than anything else, I hope to provide people with little windows into other perspectives, regardless of if they end up changing their minds. Because I agree with you, staying curious is how we continue to grow—and closed mindedness is antithetical to self-actualization. And to your point, makes you rather dull :)
I wondered how people would take that one..while I totally understand what you’re saying and appreciate the viewpoint, it still made me a little uncomfortable. But that’s why I follow you - your writing tends to do that to me, which I think is a good thing. You took me from an ardent anti AI person to having a more moderate stance on it. I also think your approach is much less emotionally charged..and with all the rage bait out there right now, I really appreciate nuanced, critical thinking. I haven’t found many other people out there with a mind like yours, so bravo and keep going!
Thanks so much for these kind words and feedback, Jaclyn. Sorry for making you uncomfortable! I make myself uncomfortable sometimes if I'm being totally honest. When I was growing up, people would describe my personality as "a lot" because I've always tended to say the quiet parts out loud—which... makes some people uncomfortable. I've noticed, though, that the people I tend to become closest with, are usually people who felt like you do. I've heard I'm an acquired taste LOL
I really just like exploring new ideas and new perspectives and updating the lenses I use to view the world. It feels like there's no better way to do that than to let the ideas touch reality and share them with other people for feedback—even when it's in the form of criticism or discomfort. I think most issues are incredibly nuanced, and it kills me when I see people arguing about topics from ideological extremes. I sometimes come across a little harsh when I'm speaking with a lot of conviction, but for the most part, I truly do try to consider every side and perspective before drawing any conclusions.
I'm rambling, apologies. I'll wrap up by saying this: I'm thrilled to hear you've shifted your position slightly on AI. I try not to talk about it TOO much, but it's such a huge part of our reality (and is continuing to shape our future daily) that I find it hard to stay away. Let me know if there are any areas you'd like me to explore more deeply in that regard. Always nice hearing from people when they're attacking the issues in good faith, and from a place of genuine curiosity :)
It's ironic that your subscribers are sorting themselves out in regard to free thinking by unsubscribing. Thanks for your clear support for ambiguity. Tolerance (at least) for ambiguity is necessary for learning. And I loved your reframe of Florida's new policy as A/B testing (although I might be more upset were I a Floridian). I'm upgrading to paid on the strength of these two posts.
It is ironic, indeed... And you raise a funny point because I'm not sure how I'd feel if I were a Floridian. I guess it's easy to talk about this grand experiment from the safety of Nevada. Thanks so much for your kind words and support, Deborah. I'm trying to make writing my full time gig by 2026 so your support truly means the world to me. Ty ty.
As someone who hasn't lived in the USA but has spent his life watching what transpires there, I've noticed a couple of things that are related. The first, and the most obvious, is that the US has become a much more polarized country. Second, the polarization intensified with the arrival of social media. The us vs. them mentality is rampant. But the USA is not alone. The same thing has happened in Brazil. With the demise of social places where people can meet and discuss various ideas, online shouting matches have taken over. There was so much hope, as you pointed out ealier, when the internet first arrived, only to vanish as the algorithms of increasing user engagement took over.
For sure. The outrage economy is booming! (Finishing up a piece right now on exactly that, actually)
I agree with you,you tried to give both sides & time will tell which side is closer to realty[TRUTH],
I absolutely agree Stepf.
Your post wasn't about a choice of values. It was about the value of information and a chance to test whether what many "think is true" is really true.
Obviously there are some risks involved, but there are risks in assuming that one knows everything also. I expect that for anyone who will be honest about the facts, no matter which side they are on, that there will be surprising and useful information.
Thanks so much, Vaughn, I really appreciate it
No idea about what motivates other people, but if I only wanted to read what I'm already thinking I might as well spend the whole day looking at my reflection in the mirror. Why would I do that? And even though I don't share all of your insights, I still consider them important and necessary.
It does always surprise me when people only want to see things they agree with. It truly does sound just soooo boring. I always appreciate the thoughtful dialogue, ty.
ST, I think that you are absolutely brilliant and everything that I've read that you've written proves that...especially this article about Florida and the value it represents to our Republic.
You will get more subscribers than you will lose, I'll bet, because you are as authentic as authentic can be, and anyone that you would love to have as a subscriber gets that. Watch and see! You Go Girl!
Thank you so much. I've received lots of positive feedback and words of encouragement today, which was helpful because I think my frustrations were starting to get the better of me (hence why I felt compelled to write this piece this morning lol) Appreciate the kind words. x
You're most welcome, ST! I am a truthseeker from way back and have been at it for a very long time. I take pride in my discernment, as a result. I've been fooled, of course, and will likely be fooled again, but in this current climate, when I read the words of someone such as yourself, it gives me true hope and passion that...
We Can Make It Work! God bless you, precious Lady of the Light! I mean that...
A lot of people cannot bear to have their beliefs challenged in any way. I've noticed at investment discussion sites, someone pointing out issues with (for example, Apple) will be immediately met with accusations of "you must be a short" or "you don't understand technology", etc. One would think that someone invested in a company would be eager to hear about potential problems with it that may have previously escaped their notice, but evidently not, in many cases.
So true. And great examples. People really do just want others to confirm what they think they already know. It's so refreshing to meet people who have *actual* open minds and actively like being challenged.
Relates to the whole concept of Confirmation Bias, which is a phenomenon well-known to accident investigators.
Reminds me of the book Collective Illusions by Todd Rose. On how we ended up so polarized and attached to these ideological beliefs to begin with—ofc most of it is rooted in the various types of biases.
Yeah, this hyper-partisan environment is so toxic, like literally you can't have an opinion or say anything about any matter unless you take a side. It's the reason why America is so polarized.
It's so frustrating to make a benign statement and hear someone politicize it... it makes me shut down faster than anything else tbh. Bc it shows they're only willing to look at the world through a political lens—and sometimes things just aren't that political 🤷🏻♀️
Never stop writing. You're thoughtful and articulate and I love every word. Should I disagree with you, I still appreciate your measured approach to everything which is usually backed up by solid statements and arguments. You're smart and it's wonderful. Thank you. (Also, side emails? I hope they meant to discuss privately instead of a public shame fest but that may be a generous take. It's like they don't know how to read. And also,--ew.)
Some of my best friends have vastly different opinions on many topics than I do. I think that's actually WHY they're my best friends. They challenge me and every so often someone does end up changing their minds. Through the jokes and little nudges, we plant seeds of truth—sometimes they just take time to grow. And other times, those seeds were wrong, in which case we admit as much as move on. I'll never understand the people who only want to associate with people who are *just like them*, it seems so brutally boring. I'm always open to respectful, engaging dialogue with people who are arguing in good faith. I welcome it, in fact :)
Amen and amen. And just to emphasize—I didn’t disagree with any of that last post! Brava.
I have zero desire to read boring, unoriginal writers, regardless of whether they reinforce or attack my own biases. The reason I'm here is because you are not one of them and are in fact one of the more original, interesting thinkers on the internet.
As long as you keep that up, I don't care if you say the most "offensive" things imaginable. (Even so, favoring A/B testing across different states vis-a-vis vaccine mandates is the furthest thing from offensive.)
Thanks so much, DH, I appreciate that. It's wild how many people *do* only want to read the things they agree with, though. It's actually somewhat concerning (which is probably why I felt compelled to write this piece this morning to begin with lol). I trust that my real audience is intelligent enough to tolerate dissent and make up their own minds. Anyone who isn't, probably isn't my demographic anyway—and I'm learning to be okay with that :)
Oh my. That’s unfortunate. I know… How weird is it that this happens on substack! I’ve had people go kind of ballistic on me, too, but I actually don’t have the energy to wrangle with them, so I just take down the “piñata“ and move on.
Am I being silenced? Maybe. But I figure that the people who agree with me or who would benefit from hearing me say what I say may already agree with me, anyway, and they have their own minds to make up. And the people who come after me are just looking for a reason.
So…Whatever. I’ve got plenty of other things to talk about…
I used to do that sometimes, but I felt like something in deleting my real opinions just didn't sit right with me. Now, when they come after me, I simply mute the thread and forget about it. Ironically, the few times they've come after me the hardest (all on topics surrounding AI), it's when my account has grown the fastest. I think there's a middle ground where we learn to harness the hate as a type of fuel. Definitely easier said than done, though, and it's still something I'm practicing every single day. Thanks for the comment, Kay, keep doing you.
Thanks – oh, absolutely, it doesn’t sit right with me to delete my comments or my notes. I’m still working on my approach to it, and I may just mute things, it’s just so surprising and offputting, the views that people feel about this stuff, when Most of what they’re bringing to the table is opinion that doesn’t have much to do with what I’ve observed, myself.
I feel like I’m in a parallel universe sometimes, and parallels by definition don’t intersect, so there’s really no point in me leaving something out there, if all it does is distract me. Yes, I could mute it, and I probably will do that in the future,so it’s all evolving.
Fortunately, there’s plenty more of me to go around, so I can step away from these little annoying instances and keep putting myself out there. I’m not sure if I could ever stop, come to think of it lol
We all gotta do what feels right for us. It's rough out there at times, so I totally get it 🙈