Popularity is the currency of populism, which is Western culture today. In populist culture, the only…

Popularity is the currency of populism, which is Western culture today. In populist culture, the only revolutionary is the person who thinks or does unpopular things. Not opposite to what others think or do, that’s populism too, creating a new team in populist team sports. /1

Unpopular things will be met less by resistance or outrage, than by silent incomprehension. You are literally checking out of all of the popularity-based status games. You are on no team. Trying to ‘mobilise’ nobody. /2

Thought in a populist culture, and look around here today if you don’t believe me, is entirely about apportioning somebody to one or other team, and then battling that team with another team. The content of belief becomes irrelevant. Identifying the team is the only game. /3

The same team can have fundamentally opposite beliefs in a very short period of time. Witness the Trumpians in bed with the old Soviets right now, their Great Leader games. Again, the content of belief becomes irrelevant. It’s only about team sports, battles for status. /4

How many truly unpopular things have you thought or done in your life? Not just contrarian things (which have their own teams), but where you escaped the teams entirely? Where you were almost a lone voice, and your social status became either void or a laughing stock? /5

That’s the only path to truth. Nobody will reward you, most will think you’re insane and ignore you. You won’t register in their team battles. But as Spinoza said, this is the only path to knowledge, and through that to the only genuine joy to be had in life. /end