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The word sacrifice doesn't appear, but TFA makes much of what Spinoza thought was worth trading for speaking truth. Excommunication, being "cursed" (cancelled)

The word sacrifice doesn't appear, but TFA makes much of what Spinoza thought was worth trading for speaking truth. Excommunication, being "cursed" (cancelled). He boldly rejected all traditional religious identities which he felt "no longer had any real meaning, anyway". He turned down an offer to "become a professor at the University of Heidelberg, on the ground that holding an official position would expose him to even more attacks" In a sense, if truth is your guide, the more you lose, the more you gain, and Spinoza lived that right to the edge of poverty and non-existence that would have actually killed (starved) him. Which takes it back to that line near the start of the TFA: "Offending the wrong people, even for a moment, can blow up the career of anyone from a Y.A. novelist to an Ivy League president" What is a "career" (other than path that is out of ones control)? Paradoxically perhaps, those happy with the simplicity and independence of saying "fuck careers" have the greatest platform to speak truth from. Extant wealth, power, and notoriety are the gag of silence. But I see a world filled with more and more young people who have not, and have no hope of ever having a "career". That fills me with vast hope that truth is on the march again.

prewett 3y ago
> What is a "career" (other than path that is out of ones control)? Why would a career be out of your control? You control what skills you learn, what companies/projects you apply to. Sure, you're not in control of which companies/project accept you, but that doesn't mean that your career is out of your control. > But I see a world filled with more and more young people who have not, and have no hope of ever having a "career". That fills me with vast hope that truth is on the march again. That sounds like you've confused fatalism with truth. But it's more truthful to say that we are in a partnership with the world around us. The world gets a choice and we get a choice. Neither necessary gets their first choice, but both are active actors.
- nonrandomstring 3y ago
  > Why would a career be out of your control? Because that's what it means literally, as in "The car careered off the road". It's a play in words, maybe a bit obscure for US Americans where capitalist work values have almost totally displaced the earlier meaning. But I'm not the first to point out the fact that "career" means this is somewhat ironic. > That sounds like you've confused fatalism with truth. Not sure what you mean. Those are distinct concepts. I'd like to explore that further if you'd like to clarify/expand. Thanks.
  - prewett 3y ago
    I've always heard "careened", is "careered" a British usage? Regarding fatalism/truth, my thinking was that if you're "filled with vast hope that truth is on the march" because youth have no hope of a career, then it seems that what you're seeing as true is "one cannot control one's work trajectory". Being out of control of your life's trajectory is fatalism. But in my opinion the reality is that we have control over our trajectory. Perhaps not as much as we'd like, but it's a lot more than nothing. (It's not like we are only ever going to be a farmer or a blacksmith or a merchant because that's what our parents are, for instance.)
    - nonrandomstring 3y ago
      > I've always heard "careened", is "careered" a British usage? Oh, could be. Maybe not so common in US, very much so here. > Regarding fatalism/truth, my thinking was that if you're "filled with vast hope that truth is on the [s] march" because youth have no hope of a career, then it seems that what you're seeing as true is "one cannot control one's work trajectory". Being out of control of your life's trajectory is fatalism. But in my opinion the reality is that we have control over our trajectory. Perhaps not as much as we'd like, but it's a lot more than nothing. (It's not like we are only ever going to be a farmer or a blacksmith or a merchant because that's what our parents are, for instance.) I see yeah. While I agree with that as fatalism, it wasn't quite what I was hinting at. It was more about the way a "career" is taken to be something you have, rather than something you live. In that way it can be held over people as a threat - something that can be taken away if you speak your mind. As in; "You'll never work as a fisherman in this town again, Mr. Hemmingway!" Since the Gen-Zs don't hae that security (nor even of a home to live in), they've less to lose and so honesty can come more readily. Hope that makes sense. sorry for late reply, respects.

prewett 3y ago

> What is a "career" (other than path that is out of ones control)? Why would a career be out of your control? You control what skills you learn, what companies/projects you apply to. Sure, you're not in control of which companies/project accept you, but that doesn't mean that your career is out of your control. > But I see a world filled with more and more young people who have not, and have no hope of ever having a "career". That fills me with vast hope that truth is on the march again. That sounds like you've confused fatalism with truth. But it's more truthful to say that we are in a partnership with the world around us. The world gets a choice and we get a choice. Neither necessary gets their first choice, but both are active actors.

nonrandomstring 3y ago
> Why would a career be out of your control? Because that's what it means literally, as in "The car careered off the road". It's a play in words, maybe a bit obscure for US Americans where capitalist work values have almost totally displaced the earlier meaning. But I'm not the first to point out the fact that "career" means this is somewhat ironic. > That sounds like you've confused fatalism with truth. Not sure what you mean. Those are distinct concepts. I'd like to explore that further if you'd like to clarify/expand. Thanks.
- prewett 3y ago
  I've always heard "careened", is "careered" a British usage? Regarding fatalism/truth, my thinking was that if you're "filled with vast hope that truth is on the march" because youth have no hope of a career, then it seems that what you're seeing as true is "one cannot control one's work trajectory". Being out of control of your life's trajectory is fatalism. But in my opinion the reality is that we have control over our trajectory. Perhaps not as much as we'd like, but it's a lot more than nothing. (It's not like we are only ever going to be a farmer or a blacksmith or a merchant because that's what our parents are, for instance.)
  - nonrandomstring 3y ago
    > I've always heard "careened", is "careered" a British usage? Oh, could be. Maybe not so common in US, very much so here. > Regarding fatalism/truth, my thinking was that if you're "filled with vast hope that truth is on the [s] march" because youth have no hope of a career, then it seems that what you're seeing as true is "one cannot control one's work trajectory". Being out of control of your life's trajectory is fatalism. But in my opinion the reality is that we have control over our trajectory. Perhaps not as much as we'd like, but it's a lot more than nothing. (It's not like we are only ever going to be a farmer or a blacksmith or a merchant because that's what our parents are, for instance.) I see yeah. While I agree with that as fatalism, it wasn't quite what I was hinting at. It was more about the way a "career" is taken to be something you have, rather than something you live. In that way it can be held over people as a threat - something that can be taken away if you speak your mind. As in; "You'll never work as a fisherman in this town again, Mr. Hemmingway!" Since the Gen-Zs don't hae that security (nor even of a home to live in), they've less to lose and so honesty can come more readily. Hope that makes sense. sorry for late reply, respects.