Just A Thought:

Aristotle taught that all human beings want to know. 

Our own experience teaches us that all human beings also want not to know, sometimes fiercely so. This has always been true, but there are certain historical periods when the denial of evident truths seems to be gaining the upper hand as if some psychological virus were spreading by unknown means, and the antidote is suddenly powerless. 

This is one of those periods.

Mark Lilla in the NYT writes about The Surprising Allure of Ignorance - "Mesmerized crowds follow preposterous prophets, irrational rumours trigger fanatical acts, and magical thinking crowds out common sense and expertise. And to top it off, we have elite prophets of ignorance, those learned despisers of learning who idealize 'the people' and encourage them to resist doubt and build ramparts around their fixed beliefs." (Other than that, we're pretty clear-headed...)

+ The Oxford University Press word of the year is Brain Rot, defined as the "supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging."

The two-word trick to small talk:       I’m curious...

What Matters in Life

It's not what we have that matters more,

But what we will do and have done before.

It's not our possessions that give us our worth,

But how we spend our time here on earth.

It's not a matter of what we can take,

But what kind of difference can we make.

It's not carelessness in the way we live,

But carefully looking for ways we can give.

It's not just hurrying to get somewhere fast,

But taking the time for friendships that last.

It's not simply getting and spending of wealth,

But always taking good care of our health.

It's not being dragged down by worries and strife,

But always seeking the beauty of life.

It's not getting mad when we can't have our way,

But constantly making the most of each day.