Yes, I'll admit it. One reason I've always supported Kerry is that I perceive him to have a very important trait in common with myself. Namely, an intense drive to be influential and matter to people.
But what is often the fate, in the real world, of people who have such a drive? Public scorn.
Unspokenly and instinctually, we reward people who don't have this drive, and punish those who do. Every day.
Little things do count. And the little, everyday social punishments of the driven (that's what I'll call them from here on out) have a chilling effect on anybody who would take up the call to be truly courageous.
The Vichy Dem mindset, the appeasement mindset is written into our very way of interacting with people. It's written into our very human nature.
It's written into the very way we "do" interpersonal interaction.
It's written into the very way we think about how to be respectful and caring towards others.
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