I always wondered what Cormac might think of me if we ever met and now I know.

I just started reading "Growing Up Absurd" by Paul Goodman and even though it was written in the 50's it is eerily prescient to problems of today. He talks about how our culture is designed to suppress and pacify men, and I think it sort of connects to why there seem to be more "dumb people" as well. I think it's easy to look down at people for being dumb but the majority of the blame is on society for pushing a culture that devalues intelligence

I have a disability called dyscalculia that basically prevents me from doing any advanced math so it kinda stung when McCarthy argued someone who doesn’t engage with mathematics will never understand reality. I think he’s right in that I’m probably going to be limited in getting a picture of the world; but mathematics is just one picture I’ll never have and maybe that’s okay. There’s still literature, philosophy, religion, history, psychology, psychiatry, and all other forms of the humanities waiting for anyone who can barely do division

I am so glad you started talking about Spengler. He’s incredible. I would highly recommend checking out my unofficial mentor John David Ebert’s lecture series on Spengler. An incredibly erudite figure and anyone can learn a ton from his lectures

McCarthy has contempt for a certain type of stupidity. If you look at his depiction of Glanton in Blood Meridian, we see a first rate, “warrior,” cunning and clever at killing, but we also conclude, objectively, that Glanton is wilfully ignorant, intolerant and generally pretty thick at any and all other aspects of life. And we never need the narration, or another character to tell us that. But, there are other characters in his novels that McCarthy is clearly down on. But it’s not universal ignorance that he despises, even then. It’s wilful ignorance that seems to raise his hackles. Those who think they know it all, or don’t need to learn anything are dangerous, especially in authority, and his contempt shows there, especially in those last two books. Consider how sympathetic his depiction of the mother in Outer Dark is? She is not a bright person, by any metric. But her depths, her spirit and meaning are writ large. That’s clearly not contempt, not punching down.

I think Cormac gravitated towards the scientists because their intelligence was very hands-on with the world; science works to understand reality, which I feel is what Cormac wanted to do most. The scientists weren't pretentious, whereas the writers were. McCarthy didn't seem to care much for hollow intellectualism, which is what much of the literati is comprised of. Which is one reason why he was such an anomaly in his field. I think he criticized Jung because even though Jung had some interesting ideas, at the end of the day much of what he postulated is unfalsifiable and kinda blurs the line between science and mysticism. And even though Alicia calls The Decline of the West nonsense in Stella Maris, I really got the vibe from that interview that McCarthy really did put at least some stock in it; I feel like he probably just didn't wanna openly endorse it because I think Spengler nowadays gets associated with certain more extreme political stances. Some of Sheddan's comments in The Passenger about "the celerity with which every aberrancy is embraced" seem to be a veiled critique of certain trends in modern culture. I dunno; McCarthy was a bright guy who lived through various eras and witnessed a lot. I can only imagine towards the end there he probably felt out of place. XD

also I really like when you talk about your experiences being a teacher so keep doing that!

I feel he probably knew of the curse of being smart. Maybe that's why he liked to hang out with the other "reasonable fellows" at SFI.

Just finished The Passenger. Thought it was great. Looking forward to SM. Really like reading CM. Suttree was sort of a trudge for me, but we’ll worth it. Got half way through BM about 10-15 years ago but left it on the plane and never finished. Will reread and finish. I don’t see uneducated people as dumb. Maybe that’s not what’s implied, but I wanted to say that. I think people who don’t take responsibility for their own feelings or situations and take it out on others are dumb. Many less educated people are very smart about navigating life’s challenges and relationships and finding some joy. I admire that. Thanks for the video!

great video as usual

I am not a smart fellow, just a man of relative intelligence who got far in a system that thrives in my expertise and abilities in the folly of pursuits assigned and contained. And even I have, in the past, grown weary of the idle populaces with lackluster intelligences… and soon realized why such a perspective is inherently ignorant to hold. I get the urge to dislike, or even outright hate people who are considered less intelligent than you are; I did, for a time, find it unfair that people idolized and celebrated and rewarded people with a lesser constitution for menial pursuits. But men are born for games, and what must be understood is that a man wrought with intellect and mental anguish is a bore, dreary, and tiresome, and as is often pointed out, intelligent people make the worst decisions. That disconnect from emotions at times, from the primal realities, it leads to the most bizarre train of logic to venture from, it leads to someone who can’t really think in the primal sense of being and function on a disinterred Id. Basically, truly smart people with a functioning EQ and IQ, can be fun to hang around with, because they tend to realize intelligence renders the cynic frugal within you. Cioran, Camus, Wittgenstein, McCarthy, Freud, guys like this have a personality outside of their mental pursuits. I’ve dated women who were outright dumb, and women who were intelligent beyond reason, and the former embraced and lived a grand life, gave me to a hook to sink into the earth; the latter left me astounded, aroused, and horrified in three consecutive seconds, but could be an absolute wall of stone (and enabled the worst aspect of both sides, a twin flame, a kindred spirit like no other). Instead of being “disgusted” by people not being as “smart” as I, I just sort of realize idiots view things from a lens I cannot, they know things I cannot, and they are not less for that-because I’m an idiot and know nothing. They can teach me and I them. But let’s not skid around the gravel: people are getting dumber. Societal issue, with an individual solution present.

Fantastic video!

Appreciate you.

It's called adaptability, people who can not bend to others but expect others to bend to them, are the "dumb People" among us.

Wow. What an uncharitable take on an important author who, so far as I can see, is both humble and modest.

Can you ever do a video on what you disliked about the Coen’s No Country For Old Men. I remember in that video you did with a professor that both of you weren’t too into it. Would be great to get more on that.

Is that Anti-Oedipus I see in the back? Maybe in the near future a video discussing schizophrenia & desire and how it might relate to Alice’s desire and its origin.

Ironic that most of the you tube viewers (and general population) are incapable of understanding the concepts in this video.

These are his characters, not him.

People are smart and dumb in all sorts of ways and lots of people are brilliant in certain kinds of intelligence and very lacking in other kinds of intelligence. I understand and appreciate the hatred of the stupidity to which we are all subject. I live in a rural place and lots of 'dumb' seeming neighbors have great knowledge and sensitivity for all sorts of things that are important in their lives.

Dumb people are the best .

that less than nothing book on the shelf moving by itself 😯 0:37

guys I'm just gonna be upfront with honesty I've only read blood Meridian After hearing this quote from the passenger I think it would be a good weed if I get a chance I will read it About blood Meridian it's my opinion that the judge was the opposition to the boy/man You see the judge becomes more powerful when he surrounded by men who are dedicated to specific course but to those men who are cautious he has no power And I think that's the moral of the store you don't need to be completely dedicated to get a job done you don't need to over engineer your life

I'm a haiku individual.

High IQ individuals are generally more compassionate and self deprecating, I thought… In fact, isn’t it considered a good idea to be skeptical of those bragging about their IQs It’s one thing to know, but advertise?

Interestingly, listening to many of McCarthy’s interviews; he might be very math and science smart but he doesn’t strike me as especially philosophically smart nor conceptually. Blood Meridian’s major statement is basically: “History is written by the victors.”

I once had a moment with Cormac. It was on the set of Pretty Horses. He was sitting in the grass at a choke point through which everyone had to pass on the way to set. As I came upon him I paused and looked down. We locked eyes. I will never forget his dangerous blue eyes and that implacable face. I just stood there. He was observing me as I was him. Like two wild beasts who stumbled upon each other in some forest clearing. Neither of us said a word. And then I continued. I never saw him again. Maybe he was on the prop truck as you say.

I'm new to the channel. It took me a minute to catch the rhythm of your style. I appreciate your intellect and passion for the man. As well as your insights. I too hate being the smartest guy in the room. Which quite often I am. This is not ego. It is simply the truth. I've been living in the wilderness of southern Utah for the past five years. My closest friend a mastiff named, Billy. It has been a great privilege to live so close to nature in sublime solitude. Hunting game. Growing food. Harvesting medicinals. My time scheduled by the seasons. This period has been my 40 days in the desert. And now comes the moment to move on. Though I live 14 miles from the nearest human, those that are here are not that smart and are bathed in Mormon fundamentalism. It's stifling and incestuous and if one is from beyond such as I you are forever considered an outsider, a gentile, and you are fair game for all manner of deceit and pickings. Living by the eternal clock of the sun and the moon buffered by wind and snow the laws of nature become all there is. The forest is a binary place. The strong survive and the weak perish. And a man is allowed to live as a man were intended. It's not a place for feelings or sentimentality. I see nothing wrong with the idea of eugenics. Modern-day humans go out of their way to preserve and perpetuate the existence of the weak and the sick. The morally corrupt and the feeble-minded. The low-hanging fruit of humanity. And western society coddles the lazy and tells us to believe that all manner of behavior and predilections beyond how God and nature intended is to be celebrated and promoted. And look where it has gotten us. I would live where I do forever if not for the stupidity, the laziness and the religiosity. I'm going to have to leave soon to find that room where I am decidedly not the smartest guy. Again, thanks for the content. I just subbed. Upgrade your microphone. You can be difficult to hear. And you are worth paying attention to.

Is that Anti-Oedipus in the background? 👀

11:37 😂

Being smart dont mean anything. Doing good works and living honestly, helping and healing people are all more important, imo...Cormac is probably not the guy you want to listen if looking for advice on living a fullfilled and devent exsistence

Hey I know that guy

Hence stoicism is a nonsense, both Nietzsche and bertrand russell regarded it as a sour grapes philosophy!

It's funny.... I love McCarthy, but the way you speak about him here, he sounds insufferable, lol.

Wait, did you say "nucular"? 😂

Was he a nihilist or an existentialist?

11:46 Yikes... I mean, talking literary analysis with non-literary enthusiasts, that's hardly a show of their low intelligence. If you don't want to read the room, use the beautiful storytelling skills you've learned, instead of enjoying this misplaced fact that you are above them. No wonder McCarthy sold me with his brutality, before it was smart, it was entertaining. If helping the masses is your interest, the masses won't be appreciative of your curse until you've interested them, sheer hierarchy defeats the purpose.

Or high IQ people don’t have to tell other people that they have a high IQ 🤔

P.S. Pronunciation matters. It is not egoistical to respectfully offer a correction of the way you say a word, especially someone’s name. Pretty sure that McCarthy, who understood the depth and power of words, would have agreed with that. There is no call for you to disrespect people for offering you a piece of information about which you were previously ignorant, demonstrably. So long as they do so politely, they are offering you something, for free. Why be so prideful in your response? And no, I was not one of them. I just didn’t like the way you treated those people in this video.

I think Cormac McCarthy was dumb.

Throw the sportsball in the toilet. Cormac was a man about pure focus and consistency. Fuck the distractions.

I genuinely get angry daily because I hate modern "culture " so much. And most normies just seem to be hollow mirrors that reflect this shitty zeitgeist at me constantly