The Problem with Cancel Culture

And how to live a better life in 8 steps

Welcome to the Monday Scroll — the weekly resource where I introduce topics and ideas I came across from the past week. Apologies for being a day late with the newsletter as I was away from the computer for most of the weekend.

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Something to Read: A Memoir on Cancel Culture

Social acceptance is dynamic rather than fixed.

It weaves together morals, culture, and context all into one — what was accepted in the 1962 is far from what’s accepted in 2022.

No moral compass is built the same which is should be expected.

But what grinds my gears is the lack of empathy society has with those who speak, think, and believe different than the majority.

Cancel culture will always linger, but does the buzzword do more harm than good?

I came across an Instagram post by blogger Katy Allen, who poetically addresses the topic. Here’s a snippet below:

I turn 40 on Friday. One cool thing about growing older: I couldn’t care less about fitting in, especially if fitting in means belonging to some fearful, rabid, merciless mob, scared of any challenge to their ideology and devoid of all humanity.

This whole cancel culture thing is bananas to me. The entire movement is so at odds with who its champions purport to be. Love? Methodically destroying someone’s life for the mortal sin of disagreement doesn’t exactly evoke the warm + fuzzies.

Progress?

When has discouraging open, honest discussion and debate ever inspired actual progress? Acceptance? Unless you’re willing to follow blindly, without question, regardless of logical inconsistencies, don’t count on that one either.

I came of age during a time when I was shown grace after making the wrong choice, forgiveness after owning my mistakes. I was granted the freedom to ask questions about pretty much anything, and the latitude to question the answers. That’s who I want to be, the kind of world in which I want to exist, the way of life I want my sons to experience. Ask yourself what the opposite breeds.

A h/t to a day-one Scroll reader, Gabby D. for posting this on her story last week.

Something to Watch:

8 Stoic Don'ts For A Better Life | Ryan Holiday

Checking Instagram right as we wake up, fearing other’s opinions, looking for outside approval — are all things we’ve done one time or another.

And so much of what we think that we must do [or end up doing] is nothing close to essential.

Ryan Holiday has a profound way of weaving in 2000 year old philosophy into modern life and this 9 minute video will show you how to live better.

A Song to Listen to:

SG Lewis - Shivers

There's not enough music like this…

Listen to this track and many others on La Fórmula, a playlist by Modern Analects

A Tweet to Think About:

If you enjoyed anything above — make sure to share with others and spread the word.

As always, please give me feedback via Twitter, Instagram, or respond to this email.

Things like which section above is your favorite, what do you want more or less of, what you want more of?

And as always — thank you all for the support.

Until next week.