If one does not know who Sam Harris is, these rambling paragraphs are not going to make a lot of sense. Sam Harris is not going to be an element defined by what Sam Harris is, but the reaction that this 'Sam Harris' gathers.
Everyone hates Sam Harris. Everyone.
There are a group of people that hate Sam Harris because of (((what he is))) and for what he does. Many of the 'alt-right' hate his identity, and hate his actions as a 'globalist cuck' that voted for Hillary. The feelings of this group is not subject of discussion, as there's not much point in discussion.
There is yet another fringe group of people that hate Sam Harris over a bits and pieces of atheist drama. Daniel Dennett, for example, is one of the people that think Sam Harris believes a bit too much meditating hippie crap that hasn't really produced jack squat.
However the most pernicious and deceitful group of people that hate Sam Harris so much that they'll seriously claim he's a genocidal maniac that supports ethnic cleansing. That's how deranged the 'debate' is on Twitter.
Obviously this is not true, but what is true is Sam Harris has a mode of argument that drives many to rage and then lash out with lies. Let's work through these as a means to understand how hopeless the situation is and understand why Sam Harris gets smeared as he does.
Sam Harris loves being dramatic, is addicted to hypothetical scenarios, and lingers on topics far longer than normal humans are ready for.
First, the dramatic part. Sam Harris is dramatic. Oh, so very dramatic, whether it's intended or not. His current project that takes up most of his time is a podcast called 'Waking Up'. This is a title in a culture between "red pill" and "woke" that is so cringeworthy that one can't quite guess how many ethically-sourced drugs Harris was on when he thought that title was cool.
The podcast opens with such a bizarre tune that the listener soon believes that Robert Stack may start talking at any moment. Instead, one is met with Sam Harris' monotone voice that is both calming and unsettling at the same time. What does a Sam Harris giggle sound like? Allah knows. The listener is permanently in suspense.
The second infuriating trait is Sam Harris's moralizing about hypothetical scenarios. (Or at least seem that way) The scenario in which Sam Harris is Jack Bauer and must beat up a trolley driver to save someone's life or something. The reasoning may be bulletproof but the arguments may well sound like they edge into navel-gazing for regular people that don't have a taste for thinking about any and all potential scenarios. Sam Harris is quite happy to dive deep into topics with a simple lead-in that makes it clear he's in it for the sake of discussion. Regardless of these disclaimers, many are going to second-guess his emotional state and/or his motivations.
The third maddening thing about Mr Sam is that his content is a rabbithole that is either the best assortment of freethought the world has ever seen or a volume of self-referential nonsense that would bring one to smash their own computer to avoid seeing any more of it. Even people that agree with Sam Harris may not have the energy required to keep up with the questions and comparisons Sam Harris is making this week. The simplest and easiest thing for many to do when drama pops up is to just assume that Sam Harris has finally lost his mind rather than pick apart what his detractors are saying about him this time around the smear campaign trail.
Now, whether these three criticisms make sense or not, these are the not the criticisms that people usually make of Sam Harris. Sam Harris is called a 'new atheist bigot' that a lot of other names for no reason other than people can't adequately describe why they dislike Sam Harris. Maybe these paragraphs will finally give people the words they need to describe their feelings.
End of all the drama, Sam Harris is going to remain a person that people love to hate and love to smear. Maybe he'll finally snap. In the meantime, hopefully people can honestly evaluate his arguments for what they are instead of making up labels for him that end up smearing all the people who find his arguments at least somewhat compelling.
One not need to like Sam Harris, or trust Sam Harris. After all, who can really trust someone that enjoys talking about mixed martial arts with Joe Rogan?
Just stop lying about him.
Everyone hates Sam Harris. Everyone.
There are a group of people that hate Sam Harris because of (((what he is))) and for what he does. Many of the 'alt-right' hate his identity, and hate his actions as a 'globalist cuck' that voted for Hillary. The feelings of this group is not subject of discussion, as there's not much point in discussion.
There is yet another fringe group of people that hate Sam Harris over a bits and pieces of atheist drama. Daniel Dennett, for example, is one of the people that think Sam Harris believes a bit too much meditating hippie crap that hasn't really produced jack squat.
However the most pernicious and deceitful group of people that hate Sam Harris so much that they'll seriously claim he's a genocidal maniac that supports ethnic cleansing. That's how deranged the 'debate' is on Twitter.
Obviously this is not true, but what is true is Sam Harris has a mode of argument that drives many to rage and then lash out with lies. Let's work through these as a means to understand how hopeless the situation is and understand why Sam Harris gets smeared as he does.
Sam Harris loves being dramatic, is addicted to hypothetical scenarios, and lingers on topics far longer than normal humans are ready for.
First, the dramatic part. Sam Harris is dramatic. Oh, so very dramatic, whether it's intended or not. His current project that takes up most of his time is a podcast called 'Waking Up'. This is a title in a culture between "red pill" and "woke" that is so cringeworthy that one can't quite guess how many ethically-sourced drugs Harris was on when he thought that title was cool.
The podcast opens with such a bizarre tune that the listener soon believes that Robert Stack may start talking at any moment. Instead, one is met with Sam Harris' monotone voice that is both calming and unsettling at the same time. What does a Sam Harris giggle sound like? Allah knows. The listener is permanently in suspense.
The second infuriating trait is Sam Harris's moralizing about hypothetical scenarios. (Or at least seem that way) The scenario in which Sam Harris is Jack Bauer and must beat up a trolley driver to save someone's life or something. The reasoning may be bulletproof but the arguments may well sound like they edge into navel-gazing for regular people that don't have a taste for thinking about any and all potential scenarios. Sam Harris is quite happy to dive deep into topics with a simple lead-in that makes it clear he's in it for the sake of discussion. Regardless of these disclaimers, many are going to second-guess his emotional state and/or his motivations.
The third maddening thing about Mr Sam is that his content is a rabbithole that is either the best assortment of freethought the world has ever seen or a volume of self-referential nonsense that would bring one to smash their own computer to avoid seeing any more of it. Even people that agree with Sam Harris may not have the energy required to keep up with the questions and comparisons Sam Harris is making this week. The simplest and easiest thing for many to do when drama pops up is to just assume that Sam Harris has finally lost his mind rather than pick apart what his detractors are saying about him this time around the smear campaign trail.
Now, whether these three criticisms make sense or not, these are the not the criticisms that people usually make of Sam Harris. Sam Harris is called a 'new atheist bigot' that a lot of other names for no reason other than people can't adequately describe why they dislike Sam Harris. Maybe these paragraphs will finally give people the words they need to describe their feelings.
End of all the drama, Sam Harris is going to remain a person that people love to hate and love to smear. Maybe he'll finally snap. In the meantime, hopefully people can honestly evaluate his arguments for what they are instead of making up labels for him that end up smearing all the people who find his arguments at least somewhat compelling.
One not need to like Sam Harris, or trust Sam Harris. After all, who can really trust someone that enjoys talking about mixed martial arts with Joe Rogan?
Just stop lying about him.