Mastodawn

By “nationalism” I mean first of all the habit of assuming that human beings can be classified like insects and that whole blocks of millions or tens of millions of people can be confidently labeled “good” or “bad.” But secondly — and this is much more important — I mean the habit of identifying oneself with a single nation or other unit, placing it beyond good and evil and recognizing no other duty than that of advancing its interests.

George Orwell (1903-1950) English journalist, essayist, writer [pseud. of Eric Arthur Blair]
Essay (1945-05), “Notes on Nationalism,” Polemic Magazine (1945-10)

More about this quote: wist.info/orwell-george/16966/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #orwell #georgeorwell #civicduty #classification #devotion #duty #evil #good #goodandevil #ingroup #jingoism #moralduty #nation #nationalism #nationality #outgroup #population #racism #stereotype #tribalism #usvsthem

Orwell, George - Essay (1945-05), "Notes on Nationalism," Polemic Magazine (1945-10) | WIST Quotations

By "nationalism" I mean first of all the habit of assuming that human beings can be classified like insects and that whole blocks of millions or tens of millions of people can be confidently labeled "good" or "bad." But secondly -- and this is much more important -- I mean…

WIST Quotations

Mike_V Jan 23

Om Malik: "As the technology industry became the cultural zeitgeist, it became necessary to advertise to the world that you were part of the tech set. And the easiest way to do so was through a uniform."

What Malik fails to note in this article is that dress has always signalled that you belong to the group:
"Grey suited business men pissing against the wall."

It is just, in this time of individual truth, it is more insidious.
#conformity #nonconformity #ingroup

https://om.co/2026/01/16/our-algorithmic-grey-beige-world/

Our Algorithmic Grey-Beige World

I start my morning going through nearly 250 feeds that flow into my “reader” app. Today, two quotes stood out in my early morning reading. “The main purpose of my work is to provo…

On my Om

Joe B. Wall Jan 20

I contend that slang occasionally becomes more and more widespread in a group when people have less substance to relate and need ornamentation to make up the difference.

#slang #ingroup #ingroupsignaling

Show thread

M Schommer Nov 1

@StefanMuenz
Nun, der Mann der aus dem Off ins Kanzleramt gebracht wurde gehört möglicherweise zur #InGroup die das Recht schützt aber nicht bindet.
Und das erregte Rentnerlein gehört anscheinend zur #OutGroup die das Recht bindet aber nicht schützt. #Wilhoit

Show thread

M Schommer Sep 29

@nerdherz
Frau Schröder gehört zur #InGroup, die Omas zur #OutGroup.
#Wilhoit's Law gilt analog.

WIST Quotations Has Moved!Sep 12, 2025

A quotation from William Dean Howells

Nothing is so hard to understand as that there are human beings in this world besides one’s self and one’s own set.

William Dean Howells (1837-1920) American author, literary critic, and playwright
Their Wedding Journey, ch. 2 “Midsummer-Day’s Dream” [Basil] (1872)

More info about this quote: wist.info/howells-william-dean…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #awareness #circle #ego #ingroup #others #outgroup #perspective #selfcenteredness #selfishness

Xodanix3 Jul 15, 2025

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLu4wGFx9mm/?igsh=Mm15Mmkxbmx1MHA=

#nervoussystemaffirmations #ingroup #groupexploitation #conformity #cyclical

Richard Rathe Jul 6, 2025

Many of you may already be aware of the important thoughts shared by #FrankWilhoit in his March 2018 blog comment "There is No Such Thing as Liberalism".

https://crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/liberals-against-progressives/#comment-729288

It provides political framing I find useful. I propose using it as a test or "razor" (à la Occam) when evaluating political actions and legislation:

👉 Who does this action or law bind? Who does it protect? 👈

The best answer is the people who are bound are also protected. That would be a sign of that the action or law is a good one.

The worst answer is the people who are bound are not protected. This almost always means the action or law is a bad one.

As with all politics and compromise there are shades of grey, but this rule of thumb can help find the better action or law.

https://mdpaths.com/rrr/commentary/wilhoits_razor/index.html

#Politics #Law #Taxes #InGroup #OutGroup