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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 9, 2024

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This is my response to most conflicts. There is very rarely an interpersonal conflict where all parties involved act perfectly, or even with complete good faith. The cases where someone's clearly wrong, and someone's clearly right, don't make it to the public consciousness -- they don't have enough toxoplasma.

Everyone wants to think in black and white and see a victim and a perpetrator. There are certainly crimes like that, crimes of random targeting and heinous violence. But my view is that we live in a world of victimized perpetrators and perpetrating victims.

I have a little prayer I think of whenever I come across a conflict online, and find it hard to decide the truth of the situation:

I will what is good, and I do not will what is bad. If someone has done wrong, I will that they receive their recompense; if someone has been wronged, I will that they receive justice. If someone has been falsely accused of wrong, I will that the truth is known; if someone has falsely accused someone of wrong, I will that they recant. If someone is in sorrow, I will them to have joy; if someone has joy, I will that they have compassion on those who sorrow. If someone speaks falsehood, I will the pursuit of the truth; if someone speaks truth, I will that their words reach those who believe falsehood. In all places and all times, I will the good, and I do not will the bad.