Casual Internet Pundits and How to Live With Them

Just cos I know someone could immediately go here, let me affirm that, yes, the subject of this talky-talk is in itself a form of punditry. So feel free to apply everything in this ish to this ish.

And so, wasting no time, let me not bury the lede and get right to it …

Keep What May Be Useful, Jettison the Rest

Which can be shockingly hard to do. Many times I find myself connecting with a person or an idea, then wretchedly struggling against some aspect of their thinking. Don’t. Instead, go like, “Oh shit, dis what T meant,” and then go get coffee or something instead.

Spotting a Pundit

You know how I do … to the dictionary!

Oxford says that a pundit is …

an expert in a particular subject or field who is frequently called on to give opinions about it to the public.

So I need to add an adjective ahead of the word, which might be self-styled pundit. Which is, like, almost the whole internet. Certainly you can see (I hope) how I would qualify in this case as a self-styled pundit, since I’ve thus far given you no reason to believe I am an expert on or about anything, including and especially writing newsletters on Substack, and neither have I been called upon to give my opinion (yet here we are).

So Why Do We Listen to Self-Styled Pundits?

I think for most folks it’s boredom? Or wanting easy answers to the complex vagaries of life? Something like that. And you know, they’re just there, like Friends is on Netflix. (I detest that show, but we’ll save that for another time.)

Also grouping. Like, people seem to like groupin’ up. Folks max-blasting opinions gives us ways to bump-and-grind (just mentally, okay?) with their ideas, and we can kina go, yeah, I like that! Or man, that’s effed up. Or whatever.

How to Avoid Becoming a Casual Self-styled Internet Pundit

Maybe don’t start a newsletter? Kidding, kidding, mostly kidding. There are plenty that don’t really give advice or make any assertions. They just talk about yarn or are fiction only or something like that.

Asking questions is another good way. You know, sincerely, as opposed to doing so in a strategic manner to set up a golf-teed, grip-it-and-rip-it-style polemic. (I detest golf, but more on that some other time.)

Also providing examples of what you like about what the person is saying or doing. Whether you mean to or not, this will have a shaping effect on the way they interact with you. So refrain from interacting with them in ways you find frustrating or annoying and then interact with them a lot in the ways you both like. (This is much easier with online folks than in-person, by the by.) And if you find that you’re not interacting with them at all, well then there ya go.

Anyway, that’s T's hot take on it. Tell us what you think in the commies. Happy Friday!

Xoxo,

T

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