Problems with Utopias: The Closed Book

On the surface, identity politics shouldn't be evil. Although I'm not a fan of labels, hey, language is language. It has to exist for people to communicate. Identifying a group is part of that process. (Historically speaking, "stranger" shows up in nearly every language quite early on.)

Unfortunately, inevitably, identity labels get linked to a "closed" narrative, a story that is self-explanatory and set in stone.

An "open" narrative in which people may change based on new information, new goals--where to live, whom to marry, what to work at, what to eat, how to behave--entails two things: (1) risk; (2) responsibility.

That is, a person in an open story will say, Maybe I made the wrong choices. But I made them, and I can't go back, so I'll live with them in the present. That's what grace is for. Okay, what does that mean for the next choice? After all, I'll have to answer for it.

The popular version of CRT--the secular version of "the Spirit made me do it" (John McWhorter is right about the religious conflation)--is the exact opposite. The underlying ideology says, Everything that happened to me is because someone/something else made it happen. That's my label, and my label explains EVERYTHING about me. Look at how well I bear up!

These days, identity by the group therefore often means, I no longer have to think about my life's path. Or make choices based on individual integrity and critical thinking.

In Chapter 17, Terry is on trial for his attempted assault on Alima. In my version, of course, the assault is a contrived event between Terry and Alima. However, Terry objectively accepts that by all appearances, he did break the law. 

During the trial, Terry addresses the tension between a legalism approach to relationships (asking permission for every act) and, on the other hand, the micro-aggression approach, which punishes people for not picking up on the smallest indicators.

I [Terry] said [to the Councillors], “I assumed agreement existed.”

Rather to my surprise, many of the Councillors nodded. Apparently the “you should ask at every stage of the seduction” approach hadn’t arrived in Troas.

Of course, the women of Troas are realists. People make assumptions about others’ needs. That’s life. Since we are not (yet) tools of A.I., we don't spend every minute of every day filling out questionnaires: check Box A or Box B.

No one wants that form of communication anyway. We want to be instantly understood—the centers of others’ universes—which wish inspires its own problems.

Because--also reality--we don’t monitor every word, motion, sigh, or micro-whatever. We don’t adopt the stories others invent for us, their versions of our best selves. So why would they agree to ours?

I waited resignedly for the Councillors to suggest the contemporary alternative. Since most people don’t halt their behavior to ask permission—and only compulsives and high school bullies justify continual “I saw you do that!” policing—the compromise is usually, “But the proper path should have been obvious."

Not obvious due to honor or training. Obvious because of identity--join the group, adopt the designated label, and our proper attitudes will be downloaded into your brain. All answers delivered. All explanations decided upon. A closed book.

Don’t tell me modern Westerners don’t believe in fate.

Terry goes on to consider that being excused because of membership in a group sounds good but lacks the moral punch of "you messed up; you should pay." However, Terry is pleasantly surprised when a Councillor asks a question implying that Alima is an "open" book. 

Terry still gets thrown out. Luckily, he wants to go. 

Chapter 17

His in Herland or Astyanax in Hiding