My impression is that many people are subconsciously or implicitly aware of this dynamic, and that contributes to the high level of interest in topics or decisions that are likely to set the tone for the future. I think many people are acting in ways that they hope would set the standard precisely because they want the movement to be defined in the ways they act. I don’t mean to single out any particular point of view as being motivated in this way, because in my experience most of the views being expressed here are sincerely held and principled.
Nevertheless I applaud your reminder, because I think becoming consciously aware of what is going on could cause people to be more conscientious about defining those norms. It has shades of Nietzsche’s “Eternal Recurrence”, which I quite enjoy.
My impression is that many people are subconsciously or implicitly aware of this dynamic, and that contributes to the high level of interest in topics or decisions that are likely to set the tone for the future. I think many people are acting in ways that they hope would set the standard precisely because they want the movement to be defined in the ways they act. I don’t mean to single out any particular point of view as being motivated in this way, because in my experience most of the views being expressed here are sincerely held and principled.
Nevertheless I applaud your reminder, because I think becoming consciously aware of what is going on could cause people to be more conscientious about defining those norms. It has shades of Nietzsche’s “Eternal Recurrence”, which I quite enjoy.