"We are living through the dumbest possible times. We are a nation of adults who know which Harry Potter dormitory we'd be sorted into. We are a country whose newspapers regularly use the phrase claps back in breaking-news headlines, whose Department of Homeland Security said womp womp in official correspondence, whose finest actresses are calling each other things like greedy little pig bottom on Ryan Murphy's All's Fair. It is dangerously stupid out there."
"I remember it ruining his credibility, derailing his political ambitions, maybe even causing him up to 30 consecutive seconds of embarrassment. In 2025, Quayle would just insist he was right, half the country would agree, the dictionary would be added to the banned-books list, and the kid would have to introduce him at CPAC. We are using our brains less than ever, avoiding real-life interaction even more. Intellectually, we are now less than the sum of our parts,"
Adults engage in trivial cultural markers such as declaring which Harry Potter dormitory they'd be sorted into while newspapers and institutions adopt flippant language like 'claps back' and 'womp womp.' Public figures exchange petty insults on television, and political mistakes that once damaged credibility are now liable to be defended and amplified. Collective attention spans and real-life social interaction are shrinking, reducing collective intellectual capacity. Simplistic self-help that offers easy answers gains influence amid widespread desperation. Rebuilding thoughtfulness requires deliberate practices to re-engage curiosity and strengthen cognition, such as communal cultural activities that demand sustained attention and shared reflection.
Read at www.esquire.com
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