I read in a book once that the greatest method of retaining your youthfulness is to stay curious about the world around you. I couldn’t agree more. Whenever I think of someone who is “old,” I don’t think of their “age” but rather, their attitude towards life, towards new ideas, and their closed off disposition towards anything “other.” Of course, I don’t mean to say we should all be open minded towards every new idea. Nor do I mean we shouldn’t have strong opinions about what is important to us. On the contrary, we should all strive to know what we believe in, and how to defend it when called for, whenever that may be. However, to remain curious is to live your life being more interested in asking questions than in giving solid answers. Curiosity is a way of seeing the world. Curiosity is to seek the beautiful and divine. Curiosity is a virtue, and in some ways, is an elixir of eternal youth. For what does a child do? They ask questions. What do “old people” do, they give absolute answers.
Politically speaking, we’re ALL OLD FARTS these days, with our absolute knowledge of how our side is “right,” and the other side is “wrong.” Ironically enough, almost none of us know anything about anything; however, we do know our side is right and the “other” side is wrong. What we lack in childish curiosity, we make up for with “adult” stupidity and ignorance. Take the tariff debate, one of many examples in these crazy times. Within days of Trump’s announcement, we had fools on both sides — who probably never knew what a tariff was before his announcement — instantly giving their partisan opinion, as if they had PhDs in economics. I remember a few years ago in college, when the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out, the same phenomenon happened. In the flash of an eye (in ictu oculi), everyone was an instant expert on Russian geopolitics. How amazing!
How did we get here? I don’t know exactly, but I’m sure quantitative democracy,1 the internet, and The View2 have something to do with it.
Where did our curiosity go?
When did partisanship and being “right” become more important than truth and curiosity?
When did we lose our childlike wonder and start to become old and feeble in our minds and thoughts?
Of course, I’m being rhetorical here, there’s no point in history where mankind has done anything but these things. No, we’re basically all the same as we’ve always been, that is, mostly lazy, tribal, and thus, seek simple answers that will fit our preconceived ideas rather than challenge us. It seems Plato’s cave is the equivalent to the modern internet echo chamber, you know, that chamber that everyone else is in but YOU and YOUR political party?
My First Book and the Frankfurt School
Years ago, I started to write a book about the Frankfurt School. For those of you who are innocent of such matters, the Frankfurt School was a “Marxist school” (cue Darth Vader’s theme) that was created to destroy humanity and Western Civilization from within, and most definitely YOU and all that you love and hold dear. Of course, I’m being sarcastic, but at that time I truly thought that. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m no Marxist, however, I started to write this book “knowing” the answers before even doing my research. Talk about hubris! When we go in with guns blazing to prove what we alreadly “know” to be true, we miss the entire point of reading and writing, and quite frankly, we miss the joys of thinking. To be perfectly clear, we lose the beauty of being curious.
Writing that book years ago (I think I wrote about twenty-three pages before quitting) I learned many things about myself and the world in general. One thing I learned is that I love to study and read, and what is more, if I ever wanted to write a real book one day, I would need to learn how to write, see my article, We Are The Books We Read. I also learned the importance of researching. Thankfully before writing that book, I was at least smart enough to know I needed to read most of the works surrounding the philosophy of the Frankfurt’s School before starting. Thus, I began the slow process of reading one by one.
The first author I tackled was György Lukács’ History and Class Consciousness; this little book blew my uneducated mind. Of course, there was much I disagreed with, however, I started to understand WHY I disagreed with it, and I could see the linear line of thinking that extended from Lukács’ ideas to the present. It was like the rush you get while putting in the last pieces of a puzzle! It was pure intellectual adrenaline. I was now starting to see and understand “Marxism” from Marxists themselves, and not from their partisan enemies. In this book I was introduced to a slew of new terminology: class consciousness, the proletariat, the Young Hegelians (and Hegel for that matter), dialectical materialism, Marx’s Theses on Feuerbach, and on and on it went. Of course, at this time, I was still fighting with guns blazing, and Marxists were all going to their materialist hell and I to Valhalla; however, there was a small voice ringing in my head, asking and questioning if I was as sure of myself as my writing was portraying? Needless to say, I wanted to get to the bottom of the truth, so I manfully3 pressed on.
After finishing that book, I wanted something a little more hefty, so I started to read Antonio Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks. Although this book is not technically part of the Frankfurt School, it contributed greatly to Western Marxist thought. If Lukács’ Consciousness blew my conservative libertarian mind, Gramsci made me wonder if I was a red diaper baby! Gramsci was a smart cookie, and I flew through some eight-hundred pages of his book in no time. Here was everything I had “heard” about the Marxist’s conspiracy, with terms like “cultural hegemony” and other satanic talking points; however, there were other discussions that made me wonder where I stood. Gramsci mentioned Fordism and corporatism, and the follies of a culture based upon them, and I found myself more and more agreeing with it. I didn’t like the vacuous Walmart culture of America. The big consumerist malls.4 The endless push to buy more and more crap, with no higher values than keeping up with the Dow Jones. Did this mean I was a communist in hiding? Hardly, but at that time, I knew no better and started to doubt where I actually stood on the matter. I pressed on and read quite a few more books, Dialect of Enlightenment by Adorno and Horkheimer, Minima Moralia (which was utter trash) and a few others, before finally throwing in the towel. Although I was depressed that I couldn’t write to save my life, what was equally troubling was my righteous zeal to defeat Marxism was now thrown into question. The pen was truly mightier than the sword.
Lessons Learned
When I set out to learn about the Frankfurt School all those years ago, I didn’t actually set out to learn anything, but only to prove they were wrong and I was right. Thus, curiosity had no part in my study plan at all, fighting and attacking was how I engaged with the texts. Hubris was my name, and posing was my game.
This is no way to learn.
This is no way to live.
This is no way to write a book.
Fortunately, as I read more and more, I realized how little I actually knew about the “enemy” I was fighting. What is more, I realized how ignorant I was to even be writing a book about it in the first place. I was brandishing my sword at mere shadows on the wall, while knowing nothing of their substance and source. Sure I was bold in my approach and meant well at heart, but I was also a fool. In in a word, I was fearful.
Fearful of learning that I might be wrong.
Fearful that the “other” side might have some interesting things to say.
Fearful that the world can’t be divided into black in white categories.
Fearful that I might be as guilty of that sin as “they” were.
The Gift Of Curiosity
Curiosity can save us from these sins. Curiosity can save us from the hatred that is brewing in this country. For if we our curious about our neighbors, we just might stop judging them by the color of their voting card, but rather, judge them by their daily actions and virtues. We are not what we “believe” but rather, our actions and deeds.
So if you’re a card carrying communist or leftist, I would strongly recommend you read some real conservative literature, and no I don’t mean anything from Fox News pundits and nonsense of that type, but the real deal. Get out of your comfort zone, don’t be a know-it-all of nothing, be intelligent and challenge your beliefs. Curiosity will only make you stronger and more powerful, no matter where it might lead you in the end.
If you’re a conservative, I would strongly recommend you approach the world with the same mindset. Stop fighting the “enemy” and put down your sword, and start actually thinking, it could change your life completely. If you think you know it all, great, but have you ever approached your thoughts from the perspective that they could all be wrong, and then slowly build them back again, piece by piece? Have you ever read anything that challenged your religious beliefs even once? If not, get on it. Stop fighting and become curious, even if you go back to what you believed in the beginning; doing so will only make you a better person.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to writing that book, though I do know if I ever do, it will be considerably more nuanced and thoughtful than it would of been eight years ago. The problem with books of that nature is that they’re often just vacuous ammunition for the culture wars going on around us, and in actuality, they have nothing thoughtful to say or add to the conversation. They’re just fodder for the masses on both sides, hungry to attack the other without caring to actually understand the other, or even pretending to seek knowledge. Anyone can jump on the bandwagon and learn the talking points like a professional charlatan, but to actually understand how we got here historically and philosophically, well that takes a different approach entirely. What it takes is curiosity, and giving up your fears of possibly being wrong.
Are we up to the challenge?
A Bonus Gift
Before I finish this post, I have a bonus gift for you all. I see I have gained quite a few subscribers over this last week, and I can’t express how thankful I am that you are here. I mentioned at the beginning the tariff debate and how most on both sides are as lost as Aeneas on the high seas. So as a gift to you all, I have created this reading list for you.
Here is my five-point plan on becoming a god on tariffs, a.k.a., actually being knowledgeable about the subject. The first thing you need to do is remove your TV and cellphone from your premises, or at the very least, turn them off completely. Then, force yourself to read no newspapers about the matter, because it will only be politicized for the masses and boobs. Do you really want to be one of those? I think not. Then, get to work with my book list below. Fair warning though, yours truly has not read any of these books, for I’m currently reading my own book list, see here, thus I can’t say for sure if they’re good or bad. However, they all seem to be worthy of a read, especially if one wished to be knowledgeable of said subject.
In no particular order…
No Trade Is Free: Changing Course, Taking on China, and Helping America's Workers by Robert Lighthizer.
I found this book on Amazon and it looks promising. I’m even tempted to read it myself, but alas, I have no time at the moment. This is probably more on the “Trump side” of the issue, however, actually reading about it and not “hearing” about it are two entirely different things. I wish I could, but I can’t, so I’ll move on.
Why Politicians Lie About Trade: ... and What You Need to Know About It by Dmitry Grozoubinski.
This one looks great and more on the other side of the argument. Again, I wish I could read it, but I can’t at the moment. Please read it for me and let me know what you think.
Walking Out: America’s New Trade Policy in the Asia-Pacific and Beyond by Michael L. Beeman.
This one seems to be more balanced and somewhere in the middle of the two positions, which is nice.
The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class by Joel Kotkin.
If I had the time, I would start with this one. Neo-Feudalism? Count me in, I want to know everything. Also, will there by knights and squires? Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to sleep, so I could spend seven extra hours a day reading.
The Tariff History of the United States by F.W. Taussig
This one is on the house and completely free, thanks to the Internet Archive. You all know about the Internet Archive right? It’s the greatest thing since Thomas Jefferson’s library. I can’t stop singing its praises. But I digress. Just Google this title and add “pdf” to the end, it’s the first to come up. Gratis!
If you read even one of these books, dear readers, you’ll be more knowledgeable than 90% of all voters in America. Imagine that. If you read all of them, you’ll know more than all the senators in Washington combined, and don’t get me even started on the president. At this point, you might go mad at the sheer insanity of how the world actually works, but that’s the price you pay for actually caring and being knowledgeable. You have been warned.
All joking aside though (but not really), I would love to read a review of one of these books. So if you do read one, please let me know what your thoughts are. I would love to be informed about this matter.
Thanks again for reading, till next time.
Please share if you loved this one, I would greatly appreciate it.
I say “quantitative” here as opposed to “qualitative." One flaw in democracy is its complete emphasis on numbers over quality. What really matters, though no one wants to admit it, is the quality of the vote, not how many votes. Although there doesn’t seem to be a better system than democracy, this will always be one of its greatest flaws.
Imagine a Plato’s cave like scenario, where your only knowledge of “women” was from that dreadful, awful, low brow show. We would all be card-carrying misogynists, without knowing the true beauty and intellect of real women. Thank god we stepped out of the cave!
Yes, I use this word unironically as everyone should.
I once drew caricatures at a mall for the Christmas season, doing this made me realize the folly of unrestrained consumerism. Expect a future article from my experience.
This was a great read. It reminded me of a time I had a very politically conservative friend at my house. He was browsing my bookcase and was appalled that I had a copy of Che Guevara's Motorcycle Diaries. I had to explain to him that it was for a comparative politics course I took in college. The professor for that class, God rest his soul, made the same point you're making here. My friend was still incredulous that I would have something from "the other side" displayed on my bookshelf.