Thought of the Day: Alienation

Many feel that to be a true intellectual, one must be alienated. As I grow older, I am struck by how much of a cop-out this is.

For the irreconcilably alienated, courage consists of leaving one's society and starting a new one, while there's still time. To paraphrase George Clinton, "It ain't illegal...yet"! But judging by how rarely this happens, intellectuals are all cowards...or else they sense that their society has the potential for good, and are unwilling to give up on that.

In which case, it seems more honest, and courageous, to dare to admit to oneself that one is part of one's society, while acknowledging the need for that society to change. This is daring, and difficult, for many reasons, but especially because one must embrace cognitive dissonance, while somehow maintaining integrity. This is particularly difficult for those intellectuals who favor moral relativism, because they must admit there are worse sins than hypocrisy (the cardinal sin of the intellectual!)

Sure, this has all been said before...but it deserves to be revisited from time to time...have a nice day.