“He not busy being born is busy dying.” - Bob Dylan, It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
As Bob succinctly pointed out, the immutable fact of life is that it is temporary. That said, while we’re here, it might be a good idea to try to straighten the place up a bit. With that in mind, here are some suggestions we can all resolve to follow through on in 2022.
For starters, close friends have provided us with the “Prime Directive” to guide us through life: Don’t be a dick, meaning strive to be gracious and meet both positive and negative circumstances with equanimity. Be kind, avoid anger. And understand that disagreement should not lead to hate. We all need to be better to and with one another.
So, in a general sense, we should all resolve to practice civic virtue as the term is classically understood: embracing our role as citizens with a sense of duty to our communities, participating in civil life, and understanding the difference between exercising our individual rights and freedoms while being a cooperative member of society. We should accept that society means each of us is a small part of a large whole; the whole is made better when each of us is better.
The pandemic is not only still with us, but the latest variant, omicron, is spreading rapidly. We should all resolve to do our best to care for ourselves and others: Get vaccinated and maintain good mitigation methods- wear a mask, avoid crowded indoor locations, and quarantine and get tested when necessary. Remind others of these necessary actions, but do not preach. Point out to them that our Constitution calls for a government that, among other things, will “promote the general welfare”.
For the good of both the individual and the society in toto, we should all resolve to take responsibility for our actions. Blaming other persons or groups for the circumstances of one’s life absolves us of the responsibility for the choices we make. To make changes for the better in our lives and in our society, we must be honest with ourselves about where we stand. To do otherwise is to engage in fantasy.
Finally, we should all resolve to be curious. As the technologist/ activist Eli Pariser wrote, “It's a civic virtue to be exposed to things that appear to be outside your interest. In a complex world, almost everything affects you…*
Happy New Year to all. Let’s make 2022 a great year.
Nic
*The Filter Bubble: How the New Personalized Web Is Changing What We Read and How We Think (Penguin Books, 2011)
The 168 newsletter is emailed on an unscheduled basis, though my goal is to post at least one per week. Newsletters are also posted to www.1hundredsixty8.substack.com. Visit the site to view archived newsletters.
If you would like to support my efforts here, please consider becoming a paying subscriber for $5.00 per month.
If you don’t wish to become a regular subscriber, please consider making a contribution from time to time by leaving a tip. Click below:
What are your resolutions for 2022?
As Bob succinctly pointed out, the immutable fact of life is that it is temporary. That said, while we’re here, it might be a good idea to try to straighten the place up a bit. With that in mind, here are some suggestions we can all resolve to follow through on in 2022.
For starters, close friends have provided us with the “Prime Directive” to guide us through life: Don’t be a dick, meaning strive to be gracious and meet both positive and negative circumstances with equanimity. Be kind, avoid anger. And understand that disagreement should not lead to hate. We all need to be better to and with one another.
So, in a general sense, we should all resolve to practice civic virtue as the term is classically understood: embracing our role as citizens with a sense of duty to our communities, participating in civil life, and understanding the difference between exercising our individual rights and freedoms while being a cooperative member of society. We should accept that society means each of us is a small part of a large whole; the whole is made better when each of us is better.
The pandemic is not only still with us, but the latest variant, omicron, is spreading rapidly. We should all resolve to do our best to care for ourselves and others: Get vaccinated and maintain good mitigation methods- wear a mask, avoid crowded indoor locations, and quarantine and get tested when necessary. Remind others of these necessary actions, but do not preach. Point out to them that our Constitution calls for a government that, among other things, will “promote the general welfare”.
For the good of both the individual and the society in toto, we should all resolve to take responsibility for our actions. Blaming other persons or groups for the circumstances of one’s life absolves us of the responsibility for the choices we make. To make changes for the better in our lives and in our society, we must be honest with ourselves about where we stand. To do otherwise is to engage in fantasy.
Finally, we should all resolve to be curious. As the technologist/ activist Eli Pariser wrote, “It's a civic virtue to be exposed to things that appear to be outside your interest. In a complex world, almost everything affects you…*
Happy New Year to all. Let’s make 2022 a great year.
Nic
*The Filter Bubble: How the New Personalized Web Is Changing What We Read and How We Think (Penguin Books, 2011)
The 168 newsletter is emailed on an unscheduled basis, though my goal is to post at least one per week. Newsletters are also posted to www.1hundredsixty8.substack.com. Visit the site to view archived newsletters.
If you would like to support my efforts here, please consider becoming a paying subscriber for $5.00 per month.
If you don’t wish to become a regular subscriber, please consider making a contribution from time to time by leaving a tip. Click below:
The Tip Jar
Aside from your comments- which are encouraged- if you would like to submit a piece of your own for 168, please email me at nicrosato2@gmail.com.