“The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children’s games from the beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up. And one of the games to which it is most attached is called ‘Keep to–morrow dark,’ and which is also named (by the rustics in Shropshire, I have no doubt) ‘Cheat the Prophet.’ The players listen very carefully and respectfully to all that the clever men have to say about what is to happen in the next generation. The players then wait until all the clever men are dead, and bury them nicely. They then go and do something else. That is all. For a race of simple tastes, however, it is great fun.”
- G. K. Chesterton, “The Napoleon of Notting Hill”
Twitter ruins writers. It gets in their head and then reading or watching/listening to stuff they produce reads just like it was written by the childish dysfunctional twitter cult hivemind. It's frustrating and tragic.
I wonder how many people have realised that Twitter is unhealthy in their specific case. I did, two years ago. But staying off (except to share my Rarely Certain pieces) comes at a cost.
I have a blue tick and peaked at 27k followers. But it involved constantly projecting the worst version of myself and consequently receiving too much of the same back. Now, with 18k followers and a schedule of posting there once a week, engagement has slumped. I know that a regular Twitter presence would help to grow a woefully tiny (albeit appreciative) audience. But I cannot bear to fall back into the narcissistic ways I projected.
We all have our imperfections and Twitter seems to be the most potent agent for surfacing them.
“The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children’s games from the beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up. And one of the games to which it is most attached is called ‘Keep to–morrow dark,’ and which is also named (by the rustics in Shropshire, I have no doubt) ‘Cheat the Prophet.’ The players listen very carefully and respectfully to all that the clever men have to say about what is to happen in the next generation. The players then wait until all the clever men are dead, and bury them nicely. They then go and do something else. That is all. For a race of simple tastes, however, it is great fun.”
- G. K. Chesterton, “The Napoleon of Notting Hill”
Twitter ruins writers. It gets in their head and then reading or watching/listening to stuff they produce reads just like it was written by the childish dysfunctional twitter cult hivemind. It's frustrating and tragic.
Twitter is like a prison yard for professional writers. It’s all flexing and posturing for a social hierarchy.
PS. Great pod episode!
Recognizing the reality that many poor people are happier and live better lives than the wealthiest in society is not romanticizing poverty.
I loved A Tree Grows In Brooklyn too. The message, for me, is: education is the way out of poverty.
I wonder how many people have realised that Twitter is unhealthy in their specific case. I did, two years ago. But staying off (except to share my Rarely Certain pieces) comes at a cost.
I have a blue tick and peaked at 27k followers. But it involved constantly projecting the worst version of myself and consequently receiving too much of the same back. Now, with 18k followers and a schedule of posting there once a week, engagement has slumped. I know that a regular Twitter presence would help to grow a woefully tiny (albeit appreciative) audience. But I cannot bear to fall back into the narcissistic ways I projected.
We all have our imperfections and Twitter seems to be the most potent agent for surfacing them.
DOR is in the pantheon of lifting songs. Did not expect Lil B to intersect with FDB.