What You Can’t Say

Paul Graham writes a relatively long, but very interesting essay about social taboos or what I think he aptly calls moral fashions.  He doesn’t really focus on the moral fashions (taboos) directly because he doesn’t want to lose the broader point.  Instead, he discusses ways that we might try to identify our current moral fashions; the ones that people in the future will look back on and be amazed.  Or, as he puts it:

If you could travel back in a time machine, one thing would be true no matter where you went: you’d have to watch what you said.

It’s good stuff and I figure it ought to get you thinking…

Posted Monday January 5, 2004 in Interesting by Chris Curtis

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Comments

Is this a dig at my post today?  You working for Ashcroft or the RIAA now?? :o

By Derek Jones on January 5, 2004 at 03:56pm link

Um… as Paul says in his essay, I’m going to answer with “Neither.” wink

And, actually, if anything I think this idea of moral fashions would support what you wrote about earlier.

By Chris Curtis on January 5, 2004 at 04:06pm link

Is this guy related to billy grahm? seriously...?

By Greg Ferrell on January 6, 2004 at 03:32pm link

Paul Graham’s article is very interesting and thought provoking. It seems increasingly rare to read such cools ideas about something that isn’t out to offend you. I pick up on this path of least resistence style of “what you can’t say”. I think it really comes across. Paul shows non-conformist thinking in a whole new light. 

By caesar on January 6, 2004 at 06:43pm link

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