#and maybe you conveniently frame 'idiot' as willfully ignorant to vindicate yourself

[pendwick]

Young people saying "ugh, he just turns into a bug" of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis is actually a time honored tradition and extremely based. It's just that you used to say this while smoking in a car with friends instead of online where the delicate eyes of self identified former gifted kids can see it.

Frankly, calling teens who aren't connecting with certain Important Works of Literature "anti-intellectual" is taking the wrong data point out of that situation.

Art is complicated. And teens? Well, they're going to call anything they struggle with "stupid" and "pointless." I'm not saying you legitimize that perspective. But you definitely don't turn around and call them "stupid, dangerous, and in denial." (Incidentally that's how you create real, actualized anti-intellectuals.)

On the whole I think "anti-intellectual" gets tossed around waaay too casually and when used incorrectly it is a self fulfilling prophecy. The topic of intelligence has never not been a politically complicated minefield.

"Just stop being lazy and educate yourself" is not a slam dunk solution, least of all a systemic one.

"Why don't you like [X]?" and caring to listen is certainly more fruitful than "How dare you, you must love [X]. [X] is highly regarded and if you don't like it you don't understand it. This reflects negatively on your intelligence."

With stakes like those, is it any wonder people might act skittish and defensive? Why they'd lose innate curiosity and be wary to engage with venerated works? Why these attitudes might seed mistrust?

I get wanting to defend your favorite books - I really do. But this "everything is anti-intellectualism" shit: a) paints all ignorance as malicious, b) encourages only one form of strictly positive engagement, and c) actualizes itself, by conjuring a perceived "us vs them" elitist mentality.

And I mean if you're here for "solutions," maybe not being sanctimonious is a start? Accept that engagement starts on different levels. That the Western Canon is imperfect and self-incestuous (often requiring deep cut knowledge on symbolism and topics that aren't one wikipedia click away to form context). That people deserve grace. That when they say "reading this feels like eating gravel" they are likely communicating something very personal and vulnerable, not heralding the end of "culture."

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EDIT: For context

(because, I realize by the time I've committed to publishing a vague post, I’ve been fully jokerfied):

This is in response to the person who said they’re going to “kill goodreads reviewers” and that quote “[they] aren’t human,” while admonishing a young person’s bad take on Metamorphosis. Then carrying on to mock their tastes, interests, and appearance.

I believe far more nuanced discussions followed, in posts by others and I’m not remotely beefing with any of those folks.

This post is also not actually about Metamorphosis. I'm not beefing with Franz Kafka either.