: Re: To what extent should a writer care about the impact of their work IRL? Let's get straight to the core issue: Books, movies, and so on can indeed influence reality, and reality can influence

@Phylliss352

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A huge question for which I do not have anything close to a complete answer. What i do have are some observations.

First, there is a hint in your question that there is some pool of absolute truth and that if we were to bathe in that pool, all of our sins would be washed away. Even if such a pool were to exist, the world is filled with differences of opinion that can only be judged by whether they are useful in a particular context. I am old enough to remember when rock and roll was the Devil's work and now it is elevator music. I can find no value in trying to decide which position is "the right choice" and which is not. This is a trivial example when compared to deep philosophical questions about the purpose of life and the individual's goals versus the needs of society as a whole. Thus, much of writing addresses topics for which there is, at least in my opinion, no "right" answer.

Second, you say people are dumb; I say that they are busy. Whole swathes of the world just work for me. I vaguely understand how my car works, but my mechanic barely trusts me to drive my car into his shop. I could cite dozens of other examples where I make use of items and have no idea how they work or how they showed up. I am not alone. We have our priorities; topics seriously important to others just do not make it to our list of things to think about. And I have no intention of apologizing for my inattention; I am too busy taking care of the things that are important to me.

Third, even if there were a single source of truth and I had the time and energy to understand that truth in depth, I would still want the freedom to write about lies and evil. I have met folks who say that the only book that is needed is the Bible; there is, and can be, no value in reading anything else. And if it is not (a particular version of) the Bible, then it is some other holy work. I believe in the tradition that says that the truth is only learned through argument; rote recitation of slogans is not enough. It may not be fun to read about the crazies and criminals but it can be instructive.

Fourth, I view writing as a contribution to a conversation spanning cultures, based upon geographies or the times or particular news channels. I listen/read/view the contributions of others. I respond with my own notions. Others respond. And so it goes. It is a messy process. And almost certainly most of the verbiage is ignored and ultimately lost. But some writing plants seeds that grow and thrive. The cultural context changes and perhaps we are all better for that. But I cannot know if my notion is the one that plants the "golden seed" or the one that ends up in a land fill until I have written and published it. It might be years/decades/centuries before that judgement is fully rendered. And if history is a guide, the judgement will almost certainly change with each generation.

Write. Accept the fact that the writing will be wrong in some sense. Write again.

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