The High Cost of Surface Living

February 10, 2025

Isaac Asimov’s words hit hard:

“When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent.”

It feels like America is paying for what it didn’t do. For decades, we chased instant gratification, consumerism, and surface-level interactions. Fast, easy, and convenient became the norm. Depth? Reflection? Patience? Those became boring, inconvenient, even threatening.

Now, we’re watching the consequences unfold. The extremes of complacency and disruption keep colliding. Trump—love him or hate him—has a way of exposing the cracks, forcing the unconscious into awareness. His presence triggers something deep in the nation, revealing what people would rather ignore.

But this isn’t just about politics. It’s about the culture we built—one that rewards the loudest voice over the most thoughtful one, where critical thinking is dismissed as overcomplicating things, and where depth is mistaken for weakness. Other places in the world value substance, but here, it often feels like being too awake makes you a threat.

Maybe this is the alarm clock moment. Maybe we’re being forced to see that what we prioritized for so long—speed, convenience, empty affirmations—left us vulnerable. Maybe intelligence isn’t unsafe. Maybe it’s just uncomfortable. And maybe that’s exactly what we need.

0 Comments

I Miss Anthony

I Miss Anthony

There was something rare about Anthony Bourdain. In a world obsessed with noise, performance, and polished personas, he gave us depth. Through his shows, he...

The Price of Being Real

The Price of Being Real

There’s a quiet courage in choosing to be real in a world that rewards performance. We live among masks—some carefully crafted, others unconsciously worn. As...