Evolutionary biologist and gender-critical free speech advocate Colin Wright tries to throw the Dorx a bone by introducing himself with bun/buns/bunself pronouns, but remains indisputably a paragon of calm reason. Our conversation calmly and reasonably meanders through Wright’s early cancelation, academia, social contagions and cycles of silence, saving women’s sports, whether social media is making us insane, and the resemblance of wokeism to creationism. Nina is lulled into such a calm state that she doesn’t even challenge Corinna and Colin when they question whether “Patriarchy” is a Thing. Is it possible to be TOO calm and reasonable? Listen in and find out!
Wright’s Substack, Reality’s Last Stand: https://www.realityslaststand.com/
Wright’s cancelation story on Quillette: https://quillette.com/2020/07/30/think-cancel-culture-doesnt-exist-my-own-lived-experience-says-otherwise/
FAIR (Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism): https://www.fairforall.org/
Wright’s Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/SwipeWright/
Genderism descends on Nina’s local bike club: https://blog.ninapaley.com/2022/03/21/cycling-and-gender-intersect-in-meaningful-ways/
In regard to the subject of having even the most objective and “science-minded” among us subscribing to “magical thinking” or religiosity, much of that may be attributed to how disconnected we are as a community in real life.
However one may feel about religion, having common beliefs and a faith system among others is very strengthening to one’s sense of self, one’s sense of community and one’s sense of safety and peace. Religion offers people a way into a spiritual tribe where you belong to a set of values that are “good” and are shared among many others, and thus, you are never alone and you have this “bigger thing” as a piece of your identity that gives you courage and a sense of peace in your daily life.
In today’s world, we mostly interact online where people show up as anonymous entities with neither face nor voice. Also, online interactions always have to be taken with grains of salt because someone may not be who they say they are. And while accepting differences is a necessary positive in our modern world, it’s also become harder for us to identify share values and beliefs among others that make an immediate rapport with others difficult. Our current social atmosphere is ambiguous, alienating and lonely.
What’s happening to us in becoming more tribalistic is likely due to our sense of feeling lost or “not belonging” anymore to the material world around us. Conspiracy theory groups and other irrational beliefs that are floating around are now serving to fill that need for humans to have an immediate sense of community, of shared beliefs and of having a sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself. We have been rejecting science and empirical facts on a daily basis just so that we can “belong” or “be an ally” or be a part of a “true” sense of something bigger in order to obtain Fellowship.
Our clinging to that faith of the irrational and unscientific is due to the fact that denying it or questioning it means risking getting “kicked out of church,” and just like it was back in the brick-and-mortar days, that means losing all your connections to the people around you and “may God have mercy on your soul.” On the other hand, doubling-down on your beliefs makes you look like a true devotee for others to rally around and thus, increase your social standing.
So, “How do we replace ‘The Nonsense’ with a healthy community?” is the next question.
I would suggest for optimism’s sake that it starts with recognizing the truth and not deviating from that while simultaneously allowing oneself room for “magical thinking” in healthy doses that doesn’t infringe on anyone else’s material reality.
That’s fair, right?