Good Links No.4

"...as rapacious and cynical as you are."

Please enjoy these good links loosely related to what it means to live in times of endless consumption and optimization. It’s not great and getting back to a place where goodness is good enough won’t be easy — but it’s necessary.

Capitalism is turning us into addicts - Vox

Narrator voice: Yes, yes it is.

A Fire Lookout On What’s Lost In The Transition to Technology - NPR

Come for the beautiful photos from the 1910s and 20s, stay for the questions on the human relationship to work. Who wins when we outsource meaningful work to machines?

A champion of the unplugged, earth-conscious life, Wendell Berry is still ahead of us -  Vox

Wendell Berry is old, boring, and hopelessly outmoded, and behind on the times. He’s also better at living than we are.

Silicon Valey Cynicism in the Age of Trump and Zuckerburg - WIRED

“…if you recognize that the press has exposed serious flaws in the design and execution of Silicon Valley platforms, you would be open to a vision of social networks that are much smaller in scale and prevented from exploiting personal data. But if your real goals are money and power (as opposed to say, making the world a better place), you’re more apt to see your opponents as a threat to your very existence, as rapacious and cynical as you are.”

Happy Halloween

A spooky bonus for you: One of my favourite things written about Halloween. You don’t need to agree to feel the pricking presence. Reality is outside you, sure, but we can’t always see what’s there.

The Real Meaning of Halloween - S.D. Kelly

“I carve a pumpkin into a jack-o’-lantern and put it outside our door for one reason and for one reason only: to scare away evil spirits,” I answer. “And Halloween is when evil spirits come out.”

That shuts them up.

This Halloween I’m going to put a candle in a pumpkin and invite friends and neighbours over to eat warm food. When we’re together, the cold flees, and the darkness lifts; our fear weaned, we laugh at death.

Hi, I'm Matt – Thanks for reading Good Words! I run this newsletter on a patronage model, which means the best stuff goes out for free to everyone. If you'd like to support my work and get some perks, you can subscribe here. Not ready to commit? You can also buy me a beer.