The 'Mute' Reality

 "If Liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."

(It's a somewhat fake quote).

Some people will argue that the quote came from George Orwell....when he tried to market 'Animal Farm'....finding almost no publisher willing to handle it.  Some revisions occurred, and this quote got 'cut'.  Years later, it would be found in text of the original document.

It's a quote that probably bothers people a good bit....when thrown out in a discussion.  

Is there a limit?  I would suggest that everyone has a list of things they'd rather not listen to or hear a lecture on.

My list?  I'd rather not have to listen to Joe Biden speak at length (60 seconds is probably my limit).  I'd rather not have to hear a 30-minute podcast over Bigfoot.  I'd rather avoid having three PhD types discuss Quantum physics.  I'd rather not sit at a diner....having breakfast, and have two ladies sitting there and talking over their failed marriages.  

I'm often critical of the 'con' situation...where I'm getting BS at a top level....where some Jesus political figure is selling his 'con'.  I can see the past dozen Presidents in this way.  

I've worked with people who had zero trust in US government doing the 'right-thing'......oddly, while still employed by the federal government.   They really didn't want to hear the BS story that was supposed to whip them up in a frenzy and get hyped up about the new path.

Did Orwell have a point about this quote?  I would imagine while sitting in some pub in the 1920s....he probably came to this reality.  But in this case....if you didn't want to engage with Orwell at the pub....you'd just take your glass to another table, or just walk out of the pub.  It wasn't a case where we needed Lincoln debating Jefferson.  

Life is crappy around the edges....no matter how much chatter goes on.  It's just that we want to hear certain things, and would prefer to 'mute' the lesser of the list.