As I get older I’m finding that a lot of the “intellectuals” I used to admire are actually just condescending and pretentious. And also realizing how much more important it is to be present, considerate, and empathetic because nobody really knows what they’re talking about and anyone who claims to know everything about anything is feeding you bs.
“When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.”
- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
I am also realizing that actual intellectuals make their subjects easy to understand, and faux intelectuals will attempt to baffle.
“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
I didn’t know Mr. T pityed fool’s that weren’t woke, but that’s awesome. #respect
“I think about my father being called ‘boy’, my uncle being called ‘boy’, my brother, coming back from Vietnam and being called ‘boy’. So I questioned myself:“What does a black man have to do before he’s given the respect as a man?” So when I was 18 years old, when I was old enough to fight and die for my country, old enough to drink, old enough to vote, I said I was old enough to be called a man. I self-ordained myself Mr. T so the first word out of everybody’s mouth is “Mr.” That’s a sign of respect that my father didn’t get, that my brother didn’t get, that my mother didn’t get.“
Terry Crews came out and admitted he had been sexually assulted by someone in the film industry, and is now being blacklisted. I have been a fan of his since Idiocracy, and will continue to support all of his work.
So when you wonder why people don’t come forward with their assults, this is why.