When Misanthropes Claim the Moral High Ground
The perversity and incoherence of preachy antinatalism
Cool trendsetters are usually found in subcultures, so that the more average folks haven’t yet assimilated their creativity.
Some thought leaders are promoted to positions of power in mainstream society, but in that case, even if they go on to become superstars with enormous followings or influence over an institution, they’ll have thereby lost much of their artistic, revolutionary energy because their vision or mission will have been politically compromised.
This is because creative insights are often fueled by the thinker’s or artist’s suffering and are thus maximized in those who struggle on the social margins. The great prophets, mystics, philosophers, and artists aren’t institutionalists. At least, they obtain their most profound insights not when they’re preoccupied with the politics of managing a social system, but when they’re young idealists who long to reform the system or even to tear it down because it’s plainly been tainted by mundanities.
But this isn’t to say that all cults or countercultures are equally valid or inspiring. Those who suffer as social outsiders can be overcome with mental disorders or resentments that distort rather than illuminate their thinking.
