I woke up this morning and, for some reason, one of the very first thoughts I had was about the connection between being complicit and being impolitic.
You and I spend our lives in a heady soup of social connection, whether we like it or not. Every day we define ourselves (and are defined by others) via our social, cultural and political beliefs and choices.
So there is always the temptation to simply identify with a particular group, and be passively complicit in whatever is the latest stance of that group on any given issue. Given that we are highly social beings, that might seem like the politic thing to do.
So there is a strong temptation to simply “check the boxes”, to not think through each issue on your own. Turning off your mind and choosing the complicit path can certainly save a lot of time and effort.
Alas, that approach to life will inevitably lead to a bad outcome. When you stop exercising our individual judgement, you gradually lose the ability to do so.
Even within your own chosen group, you need to be able to stand up and say “Here is how I think we need to adjust our focus.” If you simply adopt a herd mentality, then you end up being of no real use to those whose values you share.
Ironic as it may seem, two words that seem at first to be opposite are actually apposite. In the long run, to be complicit is to be impolitic.
It is comic if not loco that the body politic should, like octopi adorning us with picot, coopt the licit and illicit alike and thus mimic cocci so as to commit us all to a topic any politico would sooner copilot.
Nicely done Andy. I am spellbound. 🙂
Cool.