My contention is that intellectualism is the most exclusive club on the planet. The persona of the intellectual is first and foremost exclusionary; their choice of words does not invite everyman, they isolate themselves from everyman. Being a wordsmith is a foreign language to the masses. The habitual use of exotic words is alien to the general population. Neither can the intellectual be seen as an educator, because their aim is not to speak to the mean of an audience. Therefore, we must make the assumption that the intellectual is only interested in sharing their knowledge with a select group of other intellectuals.
For me the larger question is if this exclusionary behavior a conscious choice or have words kidnapped the intellectual like a drug? When we write, we have many different motives or objectives; mine may not be the same as yours. Clearly not everyone subscribes to Less is More or any other sweeping generalization. It seems a disservice to society that our greatest minds isolate themselves from the masses with words few have the attention span or capability to process. The addict often hides hers or his addiction and retreats to the company of other addicts.
Many intellectuals make their mark with social commentary; the list is long and distinguished. More puzzling is that intellectuals seem to sanction a trickle down approach where they feed their insular clique knowledge and expect the clique to distribute it. Certainly intellectuals have the facility to feed the masses with their perspectives and wisdom if they choose to. Ignoring this responsibility seems criminal form my cheap seats. Writing or speaking in anything but plain language seems contradictory to championing the very change or support intellectuals seek doesnt it?
Should my punctuation, poor grammar or lack of footnotes exclude me from the club, I apologize. My hope is that any intellectual who stumbles across my offering might consider this constructive criticism. Allow me to remind you that the first step to healing an addiction is recognizing we are addicted.
For me the larger question is if this exclusionary behavior a conscious choice or have words kidnapped the intellectual like a drug? When we write, we have many different motives or objectives; mine may not be the same as yours. Clearly not everyone subscribes to Less is More or any other sweeping generalization. It seems a disservice to society that our greatest minds isolate themselves from the masses with words few have the attention span or capability to process. The addict often hides hers or his addiction and retreats to the company of other addicts.
Many intellectuals make their mark with social commentary; the list is long and distinguished. More puzzling is that intellectuals seem to sanction a trickle down approach where they feed their insular clique knowledge and expect the clique to distribute it. Certainly intellectuals have the facility to feed the masses with their perspectives and wisdom if they choose to. Ignoring this responsibility seems criminal form my cheap seats. Writing or speaking in anything but plain language seems contradictory to championing the very change or support intellectuals seek doesnt it?
Should my punctuation, poor grammar or lack of footnotes exclude me from the club, I apologize. My hope is that any intellectual who stumbles across my offering might consider this constructive criticism. Allow me to remind you that the first step to healing an addiction is recognizing we are addicted.
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- How long is The 50 Year Argument?1 hour and 37 minutes
- When was The 50 Year Argument released?August 29, 2014
- What is the IMDb rating of The 50 Year Argument?6.6 out of 10
- Who directed The 50 Year Argument?
- Who was the producer of The 50 Year Argument?
- Who was the executive producer of The 50 Year Argument?
- Who was the cinematographer for The 50 Year Argument?
- Who was the editor of The 50 Year Argument?
- Who are the characters in The 50 Year Argument?Gore Vidal
- What is the plot of The 50 Year Argument?A documentary on the history and influence of the New York Review of Books.
- How much did The 50 Year Argument earn at the worldwide box office?$361
- What genre is The 50 Year Argument?Documentary
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