One of the strangest ideas — particularly among so-called liberals/leftists — is that one be immaculately free of errors or mistakes. I’ve seen this trend of expected perfection develop from essential non-existence during the 1980s and 1990s, to reaching its current level of absurdity that is the present. But no one is free of mistakes of thought or morals.

Everyone is going to find things they said (in writing or otherwise) from 10, 15, or 20 years ago and realize that some combination of personal growth and changing mores combine to make it seem dated and inappropriate now. If you think that’s not true in your case, there is an outstanding chance that you’re lying to yourself and even greater a chance that you’re dangerously narcissistic and see yourself as essentially flawless and incapable of error.

This is very different from the “consciousness raising” and other dialog methods of the 1960s. Yes, they seem hokey and dated to us now, but I’d argue they are more realistic and more aligned with how humans actually work. After all, achieving an error-free state is not even remotely possible. Those who claim it are lying, ludicrous hypocrites.

It’s likely that increasing polarization led to this, but that can’t wholly explain it. Probably also it has to to do with the isolation and essential disconnectedness of internet dialog as well.