The Dangers of Assertiveness

Many an English teacher has asserted that students tend not to be assertive enough in writing. And it's true that there's little point in writing if you don't actually have anything definite to say. But I believe that the value of assertiveness in writing is overrated. Assertiveness is generally valued for bringing power and clarity to writing – traits absent from aimless, wishy-washy prose. However, I believe that it is perfectly possible to express uncertainty without sacrificing either clarity or power. In addition, the expression of uncertainty encourages the reader to engage in conversation with the author by confirming, arguing against, or adding to what they've presented. In contrast, a reader presented with overly assertive prose may be intimidated into believing that the author has already considered their ideas, or is not willing to listen. I propose, therefore, that if an author has doubts about the truth of what they are writing, he should consider respecting his readers' potential to answer those doubts by expressing them, rather than hiding them behind a mask of assertiveness. 

The digital frontier

Forget space – the Internet is our generation's frontier. Like the wild west of old, the Internet is vast, only loosely governed, and filled with opportunity. Points of civilization dot the virtual landscape, ranging from the great metropolises, such as Google and Facebook, to the tiny communities formed by thousands of message boards. Spambots, hackers, and viruses are the bandits who roam the wilds, ready to take advantage of the unwary. But in the same wilds, enterprising individuals seeking freedom join together to create things the world has never seen before.

However, if history is any indicator, all frontiers are eventually tamed. Such a taming would result in a trade-off. A more controlled Internet would cut down on the dangers posed by digital bandits. But it would also stifle creativity, by forcing users to jump through bureaucratic hoops to achieve the same connectivity they would have on an untamed Internet. The ideal balance likely lies somewhere in the middle. The question is, where? And could we even control it if we tried?

Realistic Privacy

To expand on last week's post on control of information a bit, let's talk about Internet privacy. The need for privacy is a bit of an extreme on the data control spectrum. The really adamant privacy advocates want absolute control over any information about them. Nobody sees any part of their information without them giving the go-ahead. Personally, I find expectations like that to be rather silly. After all, even before the Internet, people still took an inherent risk of losing control over their information any time they allowed it to leave their heads. Someone could still read your handwritten journal, or the friend you confided in could still blab to anyone they wanted. Sure, the Internet changes the landscape of information exchange significantly, but thanks to encryption (among other factors), I'm inclined to believe that things average out. Privacy is a right worth protecting, but let's not go so far as to forget that life involves sharing information, and sharing information means giving up some control of it.  

The American Reality

As a culture, Americans tend not to like the idea that the successful among us needed more than talent and drive to get there. Why is this? It's because it flies in the face of the American dream: the idea that any of us can achieve whatever success we like so long as we're willing and able to put forth the effort. Admitting that luck and circumstance played a role in making someone like Bill Gates successful means admitting that we may simply be incapable of achieving the same success, even if we tried. It narrows our potential, and makes us feel less powerful. It also means that when we honor the successful, we may be honoring their advantageous circumstances or good fortune rather than their inherent virtue. But ultimately, does it matter if we like the American dream? Or does it matter if it's true?