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The modernity of the nonsense seems to matter more to the HN front page these days more than the degree to which something is nonsense. According to Bennett, h

The modernity of the nonsense seems to matter more to the HN front page these days more than the degree to which something is nonsense. According to Bennett, hoarders are highly attuned to these truths, which many of us ignore. And here is where she completely loses the plot. Up until that point it's kind of a bass-ackward way of acknowledging that human beings are not special and not fundamentally different from the world around us. Her "everything is magic" conclusion is 180 degrees off correct, which is that nothing is magic, including human agency.

apsurd 4y ago
What's the meaningful difference though of your conclusion? "Everything is magic" vs "nothing is magic". Why do you care more to side with "nothing". Just curious, personally my vote is on "everything". Is it just a preference, or is there more?
- causality0 4y ago
  Because magic isn't real and hoarders are people whose mental illness compels them to live in filth. We've finally grown out of applying the "noble savage" myth to aboriginal peoples only to turn around and apply it to anyone with a damaged mind. The five hundred boxes of dried-out ink pens are not reaching out to you through the luminiferous aether, you just need therapy.
Avshalom 4y ago
I dunno Bennett's work at all so I can't speak one way or the other but that quote is not a quote from Bennett, it doesn't even appear to be a paraphrase. The article as a whole feels more like a puff profile of Bennett rather than an real attempt at a popular audience explanation of her academic work.
ilkke 4y ago
How come anything exists at all? I'd say everything is magic is a much better description of reality than nothing is magic.
- krapp 4y ago
  "nothing is magic" falls back on science as a model to describe the universe. "everything is magic" doesn't mean anything because "magic" has no specific meaning other than "not science."
  - ilikecode 4y ago
    Science does not explain why there is anything rather than nothing. It is still effectively magic. Tip: don’t use science dogmatically.
    - krapp 4y ago
      "everything (that can't currently be proven by science) is effectively magic" isn't the same claim as "everything is magic."

apsurd 4y ago

What's the meaningful difference though of your conclusion? "Everything is magic" vs "nothing is magic". Why do you care more to side with "nothing". Just curious, personally my vote is on "everything". Is it just a preference, or is there more?

causality0 4y ago
Because magic isn't real and hoarders are people whose mental illness compels them to live in filth. We've finally grown out of applying the "noble savage" myth to aboriginal peoples only to turn around and apply it to anyone with a damaged mind. The five hundred boxes of dried-out ink pens are not reaching out to you through the luminiferous aether, you just need therapy.

Avshalom 4y ago

I dunno Bennett's work at all so I can't speak one way or the other but that quote is not a quote from Bennett, it doesn't even appear to be a paraphrase. The article as a whole feels more like a puff profile of Bennett rather than an real attempt at a popular audience explanation of her academic work.

ilkke 4y ago

How come anything exists at all? I'd say everything is magic is a much better description of reality than nothing is magic.

krapp 4y ago
"nothing is magic" falls back on science as a model to describe the universe. "everything is magic" doesn't mean anything because "magic" has no specific meaning other than "not science."
- ilikecode 4y ago
  Science does not explain why there is anything rather than nothing. It is still effectively magic. Tip: don’t use science dogmatically.
  - krapp 4y ago
    "everything (that can't currently be proven by science) is effectively magic" isn't the same claim as "everything is magic."