I’ve come to believe that this is the defining characteristic of my generation: keeping our options open.
Pete Davis begins his 2021 book Dedication: The Case for Commitment by describing the modern refusal to commit with a low-stakes example. “Infinite browsing mode” is perfectly captured by an evening spent trawling the full Netflix database, rejecting each movie option in case a better one comes along. But in his appearance on this week’s episode of Krystal Kyle & Friends, Pete makes it clear that the stakes of indecisiveness are far greater than permanently scrolling through media sites. Our conversation inspired us to reflect on the value of commitment to ideals, principles, political movements. How well are we serving ourselves and our world by refusing to stand by what we believe in? And when there’s room for us to commit ourselves to these projects, how can we make the leap?
As Pete points out, the victories we achieve through commitment tend to be quiet success stories. Hollywood prefers to glamorize stories of epiphanies and “big breaks” — single moments that change a person’s life or redefine their sense of self. Given that the escape from infinite browsing mode is hard-won and often difficult, we can’t expect to watch the value of commitment play out on the big screen in popular culture. But the personal and social enrichment that these commitments yield, Pete argues, is what makes it all worth it. We’re inclined to agree.
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