“The Second Coming” has been on my mind a lot these days, expecially “The best lack all conviction while the worst/ Are full of passionate intensity.” Poetry keeps the flame of conviction alive. Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you, David. I can honestly tell you, as one who spent the last half hour failing to resist that moth-to-flame pull of online toxic dialogue, you have just made my day with your open and gracious response.
Thank you so much for this. Also for your podcast, which I'm just happily discovering. Here is something you may find interesting: https://substack.com/home/post/p-146097679
“The Second Coming” has been on my mind a lot these days, expecially “The best lack all conviction while the worst/ Are full of passionate intensity.” Poetry keeps the flame of conviction alive. Thanks for the reminder.
Ah…a thinker whose thoughts mirror mine in every respect. Well said, David. 👏👏
I might add one more point here, and I love so much of what you've written. I don't know your writing well enough (yet) to discern whether you are on the left or the right, but most of us seem to be left-leaning. It is not only those on the right who sow division, though it might seem like it at times, or from certain vantage points. One great way to combat the temptation (shared by all, I believe) to deepen the divide is to look with the most critical eye at our own side, or even at ourselves. Here is an excellent talk, in which the speaker points out how we are being manipulated. As I've looked around over the years, I've seen so much evidence of this: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=560dbe01d21b77ad&rls=en&sxsrf=ADLYWIJUu45USVmnL5Qqvreyrf3FKKgRyQ:1721231606526&q=youtube+%2B+%22braver+angels%22+%2B+%22jonathan+rauch%22+%2B+gettysburg&spell=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiBh-6zt66HAxWaMlkFHQ7PDiwQBSgAegQIChAB&biw=1710&bih=989&dpr=2#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:32d5334c,vid:EOcM8MPN9cY,st:0
Great point. And thank you for the suggestions. Warmly appreciated.
Thank you, David. I can honestly tell you, as one who spent the last half hour failing to resist that moth-to-flame pull of online toxic dialogue, you have just made my day with your open and gracious response.
Thank you so much for this. Also for your podcast, which I'm just happily discovering. Here is something you may find interesting: https://substack.com/home/post/p-146097679
I've had a lot of poetry books open this past week. So much truth in these words from David B and David F.
Thank you, David.
The last two paragraphs...perfect distillation. Thank you, David.