Another year has gone by, and I might be inclined to say that I’ve learned nothing, or rather that I now value curiosity over false certainty, and to prefer kindness over a need to assert my “rightness” in arguments.
I hear a lot of the phrase “it’s not mean if it’s true”, and I would say that’s an excuse that rhetorically challenged people use to escape the social consequences of being crass. In short, “it’s not mean if it’s true” is what assholes say to pretend they are doing you a favour by being rude to you.
If there’s one thing I’ve determined that is of the most value, it’s that in most discussions of ethics, there isn’t ever just one right answer. However, the viewpoints that stress personal accountability and compassion, for whichever reason, tend to have a better argument for me than those who just…discard any sort of religion or philosophy and pretend that sheer intelligence automatically implies ethical behaviour. Imperfect virtue is still more commendable to me than being intellectualistic, immediately assuming moral superiority as a result. You can being the smartest person in the room and still not have any wisdom, courage, prudence, or any notion of justice.
I prefer a good heart, with pure intent, open ears, and kind words.