You can’t bribe people out of a culture war

Useful idiots, feminism vs. populism, and why sexuality is a weapon

I joined

David Dennison

and

Rohan Ghostwind

for the second time to give you a variety show in just forty minutes. Below the topic summary, I provide an update on what I’ve been thinking about and doing over the last few weeks, as well as a written commentary on three of the topics we discuss for paid subscribers.

I’ve added a surprising number of subscribers in the past two weeks, which suggests an untapped market of people eager to hear the unspeakable.

• [1:43] Cringe identity shift – Group blame moving from white men to liberal white women.

• [6:51] Punching up – Double standards in group generalizations.

• [11:23] Nevertheless, woke persisted – Ideas retreat to silos but remain powerful.

• [16:13] Cycles of radicalism – Ignoring reformers leads to extreme successors (Bernie → Trump, Reeves → Tate).

• [21:35] Trump’s appeal – Reckless but responsive leadership feels more alive than “business as usual.”

• [25:52] Status games – Rise of “ASS – Arbitrary, Stupid Status” as elites cling to hollow hierarchies (coined by Rohan, though I wish I could take credit)

• [29:12] Work & AI – White-collar layoffs reveal how many jobs add little real value.

• [32:29] Dating, gossip, and the Tea app – Apps fuel overvaluation; gossip and sexuality weaponized without equivalents.

• [39:50] Cultural rot – Incentives drive dysfunction, narcissism, and fewer happy marriages.

A general update + what I’m thinking about

I’ve been off Substack completely for two weeks, other than occasionally reading comments. My phone time is down to ninety minutes a day, and I’ve noticed that the days feel longer. My new job started last week, and I’m pretty drained. I’ve also realized that the discussions in my notes often distract me from thinking about my larger topics, even though I enjoy the conversation. The chatter in my head is far quieter, and in that vacuum, I’ve spent significant time reading about various Hinduism-related topics and slowly resuming my study of the north Indian classical dance form, Kathak. Learning Kathak isn’t just a matter of movements; I also have to master Hindustani music theory, because the dancer’s feet are, in fact, an instrument.

During this break, I’ve relearned how to write in Devanagari (the script for Sanskrit and Hindi), reconnected with my dance repertoire, and revisited the process of decoding devotional poetry in Braj Bhasha (“language of the Braj region”). The vernacular Hindi dialect of Braj is the lingua franca of Kathak and Hindustani music. The god Krishna is said to have grown up in the Braj region, which is now part of modern Uttar Pradesh, thereby lending it even greater influence in Indian aesthetics and religious life. I grew up speaking Hindi and Gujarati before English, and for that I’m grateful.

I’ve considered writing about the medieval-era devotional movement, which was much like the Protestant Reformation in claiming a personal relationship with god, less mediated by elite orthodoxy. However, I sometimes fear that such topics, about which I have a great deal of knowledge, are too niche. You guys tell me.

I’ve also written a ton; I don’t exactly have hobbies that allow me to relax. Additionally, I’ve read more consistently during the day, rather than just before bed. I made progress on books about the Indian performing arts, re-read the Devi Mahatmya (a central text on the goddess from the Puranas), and read a couple of books on writing. In the first half of this year, I was overly focused on gender and social justice culture at the expense of everything else.

Part of my problem is the desire to respond to almost every comment, as I consider myself fortunate to receive such thoughtful feedback from all of you. Many comments I’ve gotten about my Substack presence have noted the quality of conversation I’ve somehow engendered, and for that I’m deeply grateful. Perhaps that’s why I feel a responsibility to engage with you all; I’m thinking in public and revising my theories based on your feedback. Many of you encourage me to consider new angles I wouldn’t have otherwise.

I noticed that in the first few days, I really wanted to check my notifications, but then I let them pile up for an entire week and didn’t want to check them. I’m not afraid of the feedback, but I now remember how social media addled my brain slowly without my realizing it. The platform shouldn’t dictate the form, but that often happens in practice, including on Substack. I revisited Cal Newport’s podcast and remembered why I started writing in the first place — to warn people of the perils of an undisciplined life. But I can’t do that if I’m undisciplined. We live under a constant barrage of notifications, and I’m not quite sure why we tolerate it.

To that end, for now, I will continue to refrain from Notes and focus on my long-form work and reading. The result will likely be better-baked theories and a wider range of writing, now that I’ve returned to my other intellectual interests in religion, aesthetics, and philosophy. I will also not respond to most comments unless I feel a strong connection, although I do read them all. And several of you are very good at pulling me to respond.

I will return again in two or maybe three weeks. I’m percolating on the following:

1. The male gaze

2. How to save the liberal arts

3. The James Damore memo

4. The brown woman-white man trope

5. Feminism as an adaptive rationalization for managerial capitalism

6. The reality of applying Cal Newport’s advice as a woman in consulting

7. Whether the Hindu goddess is a feminist (no)

8. The function of Hindu philosophy and divinities as signs in American culture

Bonus deep dive for paid subscribers on the episode

1. Indian-American women are useful idiots for professional-class white women