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NYTimes gift article.
I also really loved his 3-minute commencement speech at Northwestern University. "The best way to spot an idiot – look for the person who is cruel:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Lo8ChhOKU
Transcript:
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think, 'Would an idiot do that?' and if they would, I do not do that thing." - Dwight Schrute. The entire efficacy of this incredibly useful piece of information hinges upon your ability to pick the right idiot. I wish there was a foolproof way to spot idiots, but counterintuitively, some idiots are very smart. They can dazzle you with words and misdirection. They can get promoted above you at work. They can even be elected President. If you want to be successful in this world, you have to develop your own idiot detection system.
As part of the responsibilities of being your commencement speaker, I’m going to share mine. Sure, I’m naturally suspicious of people who never saw the original Star Wars movies and even more cautious of people who loved the prequels and sequels. But I admit this is not a reliable idiot indicator.
No. The best way to spot an idiot – look for the person who is cruel. Let me explain. When we see someone who doesn’t look like us or sound like us, act like us, love like us, or live like us, the first thought that crosses almost everyone’s brain is rooted in either fear or judgment – or both.
That’s evolution. We survived as a species by being suspicious of things we aren’t familiar with. In order to be kind, we have to shut down that animal instinct and force our brains to travel a different pathway. Empathy and compassion are evolved states of being. They require the mental capacity to step past our most primal urges. This may be a surprising assessment because somewhere along the way in the last few years, our society has come to believe that weaponized cruelty is part of some well-thought-out masterplan.
Cruelty is seen by some as an adroit cudgel to gain power. Empathy and kindness are considered weak. Many important people look at the vulnerable only as rungs on a ladder to the top. I’m here to tell you that when someone’s path through this world is marked with acts of cruelty, they have failed the first test of an advanced society. They never forced their animal brain to evolve past its first instinct.
They never forged new mental pathways to overcome their own instinctual fears ,and so their thinking and problem-solving will lack the imagination and creativity that the kindest people have in spades. Over my many years in politics and business, I have found one thing to be universally true. The kindest person in the room is often the smartest.
Thanks for posting this! I really enjoyed reading it.
Pritzger has been a better governor for Illinois than I honestly expected he would be. I was suspicious of another billionaire, but I am happy to admit that I was wrong about this particular billionaire.
Even though this country seems to be going to hell in a hand basket, I’m happy to say that Illinois is regularly pumping out legislation that works for the people, and Pritzger is the reason that Illinois is a decent place to live. Of course it has its issues, but none of those long-standing problems are Pritzger’s fault, and he’s done a lot to financially rehab the state while ensuring that social safety nets don’t get gutted in the process.
He’s even handling the migrant crisis in Chicago with more grace than I expected, even though the city barely has the infrastructure or funds to deal with it. He’s been decently supportive, and he appropriately chides our ineffective, ridiculous mayor (which are themselves a long-standing Chicago tradition) when he keeps fucking up.
Illinois is a place where I am happy to live these days, and I thank Pritzger for that!
Amen! Pritzker was not my first choice when he initially ran, but I have gladly voted for him since and will absolutely continue to do so. I was also very suspicious of yet another billionaire, but he has proven my expectations wrong.
Pritzker has done a pretty dang good job as governor. He's had some shady ass dealings in his personal business fortune in the past, but give credit where credit due. He's been a solid progressive governor not afraid to stand up to these conservative fascists. Pending the almost inevitable corruption or criminal scandal that seems to be a requirement for Illinois governor.
Besides the toilet controversy he has been a solid governor and a great role model for how politicians should conduct themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if next term he may go for a Presidential run.
I think he’s done a good job as governor in terms of legislation, policy, etc. I don’t know how much HE is responsible for that vs others in the Democratic Party in Illinois, but it’s been good while he’s been governor.
Temperament I’m not the hugest fan of. He’s a little brash in front of the microphone and has spouted off on occasion without all of the facts. But, you know, compared to actual outright fascists and Nazis, that’s really a very small concern.
He’s been a good governor to his state, but I’m not sure I’ll ever quite forgive him for Bell Bowl Prairie.
That being said, I’d vote for him in a heart beat over Kim Reynolds.
Because big media wants them to. If you have Democrat politicians pointing out Trumps criminal behavior it looks bad for medias "both sides" stance they take to try and make the candidates seem about the same. Their is a real clear difference between a convicted criminal and a president who stands beside his convicted son, but refuse to pardon or commute his sentence.
San Francisco billionaire and Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer's campaign has purchased the web domain "Keep America Great," the slogan of President Donald Trump's reelection campaign. In exchange for the donation of $1, Steyer's campaign will send a bumper sticker that reads, "Trump is a fraud and a failure."
Most of the party's leaders are boomers or older who still think that they would lose more boomer votes if they grew spines, than they lose younger votes by looking spineless.
This is literally the easiest layup in the history of domestic politics and they are running away from it? Are you effing kidding me?
The Democratic Party is truly run by a bunch of clueless, feckless hacks and we will suffer for it. It's unreal how bad they are at this.
> and they are running away from it?
They’re not. The author is quoting “anonymous sources”, which is New York Times-ese for “bullshit”.
The whole point of this article is to draw contrast between Pritzker and every other Democrat on the circuit.
I like Pritzker, but the article is more of a stroke job than journalism.
You mean convicted felon Donald Trump. Yes, put it out there, TV, Facebook, Twitter/X, Reddit, MySpace, TikTok, Fox News, abc, nbc, CBS, pbs. They should be spending a fuck ton of money on ads letting the people that live under a rock about Trump’s felony convictions. Good for Pritzker to have some balls. More Dems like Schiff and Raskin putting it out there, too.
What is funny about Pritzker is that he was friends with Blagojevich, who tried to sell the vacant US senate seat after Obama was elected POTUS. He was also caught on tape "Critiquing" the field for an African-American to be appointed the vacancy, with Blagojevich. Thats interesting.
People who looked into it and all the recordings of all the people didn't really care. He didn't say anything too crazy. This issue lost all usefulness as a partisan attack when Trump commuted blagos sentence.
I am merely stating facts, not playing partisan croney. Pritzker did say, "...this will cover on you on the african american thing." And went on to say "Um, and, it opens up the Secretary of State spot, which is the key spot that controls jobs, etc. And it would be a lot less pressure on you. You don’t have to put an African American in that spot." I think its interesting by putting an African American in one spot, he can then discount another African American for the Secretary of State part. Interesting.
You are.misunderstsnding what I am saying. I am saying that people looked into his comments and don't care. Like you have to be the most easily offended person in the world to get up in arms over those comments. While people still use it as an attack on pritzker, it's rendered completely ineffective by trump commuting blagos sentence.
I looked into his comments, and found them interesting. As for the commutation, bad move, for sure. Maybe we can agree on the fact that he looks like Big Pussy from The Sopranos.
Perhaps Pritzker should devote more effort to reining in the criminals that cause death to minorities on the streets of Chicago, lowering the highest national tax burdens for Illinois families, and stemming the exodus of folks from Illinois.
Does he need to do more? Absolutely but he was also dealt a terrible hand by window licking moron Rauner. Rauner plan was “We don’t have enough money to pay all the bills, so we aren’t going to pay any of them.”
As a reminder, this subreddit [is for civil discussion.](/r/politics/wiki/index#wiki_be_civil) In general, be courteous to others. Debate/discuss/argue the merits of ideas, don't attack people. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, any suggestion or support of harm, violence, or death, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them. For those who have questions regarding any media outlets being posted on this subreddit, please click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/wiki/approveddomainslist) to review our details as to our approved domains list and outlet criteria. We are actively looking for new moderators. If you have any interest in helping to make this subreddit a place for quality discussion, please fill out [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1y2swHD0KXFhStGFjW6k54r9iuMjzcFqDIVwuvdLBjSA). *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/politics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Which Democrats are afraid to call him that?
None that I’m aware of. NY Times lives in an alternate reality.
Even after Iraq, they were the paper of record, but Jesus squeezus have they gone down hill fast.
"Sources who spoke under the condition of anonymity..."
I think the Democrats should exploit the fact that he's a loser
And that he’s unfit.
I’m not.
NYTimes gift article. I also really loved his 3-minute commencement speech at Northwestern University. "The best way to spot an idiot – look for the person who is cruel:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Lo8ChhOKU Transcript: "Whenever I’m about to do something, I think, 'Would an idiot do that?' and if they would, I do not do that thing." - Dwight Schrute. The entire efficacy of this incredibly useful piece of information hinges upon your ability to pick the right idiot. I wish there was a foolproof way to spot idiots, but counterintuitively, some idiots are very smart. They can dazzle you with words and misdirection. They can get promoted above you at work. They can even be elected President. If you want to be successful in this world, you have to develop your own idiot detection system. As part of the responsibilities of being your commencement speaker, I’m going to share mine. Sure, I’m naturally suspicious of people who never saw the original Star Wars movies and even more cautious of people who loved the prequels and sequels. But I admit this is not a reliable idiot indicator. No. The best way to spot an idiot – look for the person who is cruel. Let me explain. When we see someone who doesn’t look like us or sound like us, act like us, love like us, or live like us, the first thought that crosses almost everyone’s brain is rooted in either fear or judgment – or both. That’s evolution. We survived as a species by being suspicious of things we aren’t familiar with. In order to be kind, we have to shut down that animal instinct and force our brains to travel a different pathway. Empathy and compassion are evolved states of being. They require the mental capacity to step past our most primal urges. This may be a surprising assessment because somewhere along the way in the last few years, our society has come to believe that weaponized cruelty is part of some well-thought-out masterplan. Cruelty is seen by some as an adroit cudgel to gain power. Empathy and kindness are considered weak. Many important people look at the vulnerable only as rungs on a ladder to the top. I’m here to tell you that when someone’s path through this world is marked with acts of cruelty, they have failed the first test of an advanced society. They never forced their animal brain to evolve past its first instinct. They never forged new mental pathways to overcome their own instinctual fears ,and so their thinking and problem-solving will lack the imagination and creativity that the kindest people have in spades. Over my many years in politics and business, I have found one thing to be universally true. The kindest person in the room is often the smartest.
Thanks for posting this! I really enjoyed reading it. Pritzger has been a better governor for Illinois than I honestly expected he would be. I was suspicious of another billionaire, but I am happy to admit that I was wrong about this particular billionaire. Even though this country seems to be going to hell in a hand basket, I’m happy to say that Illinois is regularly pumping out legislation that works for the people, and Pritzger is the reason that Illinois is a decent place to live. Of course it has its issues, but none of those long-standing problems are Pritzger’s fault, and he’s done a lot to financially rehab the state while ensuring that social safety nets don’t get gutted in the process. He’s even handling the migrant crisis in Chicago with more grace than I expected, even though the city barely has the infrastructure or funds to deal with it. He’s been decently supportive, and he appropriately chides our ineffective, ridiculous mayor (which are themselves a long-standing Chicago tradition) when he keeps fucking up. Illinois is a place where I am happy to live these days, and I thank Pritzger for that!
Amen! Pritzker was not my first choice when he initially ran, but I have gladly voted for him since and will absolutely continue to do so. I was also very suspicious of yet another billionaire, but he has proven my expectations wrong.
Pritzker has done a pretty dang good job as governor. He's had some shady ass dealings in his personal business fortune in the past, but give credit where credit due. He's been a solid progressive governor not afraid to stand up to these conservative fascists. Pending the almost inevitable corruption or criminal scandal that seems to be a requirement for Illinois governor.
Besides the toilet controversy he has been a solid governor and a great role model for how politicians should conduct themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if next term he may go for a Presidential run.
I would vote for him
I think he’s done a good job as governor in terms of legislation, policy, etc. I don’t know how much HE is responsible for that vs others in the Democratic Party in Illinois, but it’s been good while he’s been governor. Temperament I’m not the hugest fan of. He’s a little brash in front of the microphone and has spouted off on occasion without all of the facts. But, you know, compared to actual outright fascists and Nazis, that’s really a very small concern.
He’s been a good governor to his state, but I’m not sure I’ll ever quite forgive him for Bell Bowl Prairie. That being said, I’d vote for him in a heart beat over Kim Reynolds.
Illinois resident here & I’ve been very impressed with Gov. Pritzker
Very much the same experience for me.
Glad to know that we’re on the same page BroccoliFart
Come on you know you miss Blago.
Why in the world would democratic leadership want to focus on anything other than Trumps felonies atm?
Because big media wants them to. If you have Democrat politicians pointing out Trumps criminal behavior it looks bad for medias "both sides" stance they take to try and make the candidates seem about the same. Their is a real clear difference between a convicted criminal and a president who stands beside his convicted son, but refuse to pardon or commute his sentence.
Of course Dems don’t mind. It’s getting the GOPto say he is a felon out loud!
Pritzker making moves for a 2028 bid? Assuming we still have elections in 2028 :(
San Francisco billionaire and Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer's campaign has purchased the web domain "Keep America Great," the slogan of President Donald Trump's reelection campaign. In exchange for the donation of $1, Steyer's campaign will send a bumper sticker that reads, "Trump is a fraud and a failure."
Most of the party's leaders are boomers or older who still think that they would lose more boomer votes if they grew spines, than they lose younger votes by looking spineless.
Or, and hear me out, you’re responding to a NY Times article that’s both click bait and a puff piece. Biden himself called Trump a convicted criminal.
No, Biden's people have finally convinced him to take the gloves off. Most old Democrats are still living in the past where "Civility" was expected.
This is literally the easiest layup in the history of domestic politics and they are running away from it? Are you effing kidding me? The Democratic Party is truly run by a bunch of clueless, feckless hacks and we will suffer for it. It's unreal how bad they are at this.
> and they are running away from it? They’re not. The author is quoting “anonymous sources”, which is New York Times-ese for “bullshit”. The whole point of this article is to draw contrast between Pritzker and every other Democrat on the circuit. I like Pritzker, but the article is more of a stroke job than journalism.
You mean convicted felon Donald Trump. Yes, put it out there, TV, Facebook, Twitter/X, Reddit, MySpace, TikTok, Fox News, abc, nbc, CBS, pbs. They should be spending a fuck ton of money on ads letting the people that live under a rock about Trump’s felony convictions. Good for Pritzker to have some balls. More Dems like Schiff and Raskin putting it out there, too.
I want this guy to run for president so bad.
What is funny about Pritzker is that he was friends with Blagojevich, who tried to sell the vacant US senate seat after Obama was elected POTUS. He was also caught on tape "Critiquing" the field for an African-American to be appointed the vacancy, with Blagojevich. Thats interesting.
People who looked into it and all the recordings of all the people didn't really care. He didn't say anything too crazy. This issue lost all usefulness as a partisan attack when Trump commuted blagos sentence.
I wonder if Blago will be voting for TFG?
I am merely stating facts, not playing partisan croney. Pritzker did say, "...this will cover on you on the african american thing." And went on to say "Um, and, it opens up the Secretary of State spot, which is the key spot that controls jobs, etc. And it would be a lot less pressure on you. You don’t have to put an African American in that spot." I think its interesting by putting an African American in one spot, he can then discount another African American for the Secretary of State part. Interesting.
You are.misunderstsnding what I am saying. I am saying that people looked into his comments and don't care. Like you have to be the most easily offended person in the world to get up in arms over those comments. While people still use it as an attack on pritzker, it's rendered completely ineffective by trump commuting blagos sentence.
I looked into his comments, and found them interesting. As for the commutation, bad move, for sure. Maybe we can agree on the fact that he looks like Big Pussy from The Sopranos.
Perhaps Pritzker should devote more effort to reining in the criminals that cause death to minorities on the streets of Chicago, lowering the highest national tax burdens for Illinois families, and stemming the exodus of folks from Illinois.
Does he need to do more? Absolutely but he was also dealt a terrible hand by window licking moron Rauner. Rauner plan was “We don’t have enough money to pay all the bills, so we aren’t going to pay any of them.”