#annotations

her point about overthinking projection of identity undercutting your natural expression of identity was really interesting. I think it goes hand in hand with not deeply knowing yourself and thus questioning your identity, but I don't really think this is such a problem unique to newer generations as it is something that all young people go through.

she also brought up social learning theory and how we learn by imitation, and I think this is really important to the conversation. it's so natural to imitate what we like and it's not a moral failing to do so. it's how we learn about others and ourselves. I think the problem comes when you're doing it without considering your own feelings about it, instead detaching yourself and being uncurious about your own identity in favor of projecting a certain image to the public.

"But good propaganda is typically built around real problems and uses the language of real fears..."

"...the perpetual present-tense so common in culture writing."

the idea being that this imbues the writing with a sense of urgency and essentially gives more weight to the points being made. good for both grabbing attention and making the situation seem more dire than it is.

"Every word that doesn’t mean something is taking up the spot of a word that could. Every refusal to be precise and think about the implications of one’s language means arguments that are worse."

essentially you are kneecapping your own argument when you are not presenting it in good faith. how can someone take what you're saying seriously, even if it is serious, if you are not engaging honestly? it makes the audience wary of your intentions and less likely to trust

"...it can make it harder to see the past clearly, and thus make it harder to understand the present."

history informs present conditions always

"I wrote things that felt true without thinking to double-check if they actually were."

the root of the issue. writing for feelings without making sure the facts align. again, this weakens the argument being made.

these are basic issues that are addressed in rhetorical writing courses and I think things that are easily remedied if the writer is made aware of them. I think some of it also has to do with maturity of the writer, as RFQ implies in this essay.

overall a really interesting trend affecting current culture writing from the younger cohort of authors especially (but present in the wider pool of pieces as well).