Some Things I Learned in the 2010s

Baby Yoda

Before I begin, let's get this out of the way. There's pretty good reason to think the current decade doesn't actually end until December 31, 2020. About 20 years ago I was one of those people who insisted that the new millennium didn't begin until Jan. 1, 2001. But I'm less insistent about decades. Maybe it's because ending the 2010s a year early doesn't seem so bad, given everything that's happened in the last half of the decade.

Whatever the case, here are just some of the many things I've learned in the 2010s.



1. I learned how to blog. After dipping my toes in over at the Indian Philosophy Blog, I started this blog on December 24, 2014, which means this month is this blog's fifth anniversary. I'm still not sure I'm doing it right and I'm never sure who or how many people actually read my random ramblings or whether blogging has already become an outmoded form of communication, but I enjoy writing it. Thanks for reading!

2. I learned about keeping track of books I read. I've always enjoyed reading, but sometime around 2011, I started to seriously use Goodreads. This was a big reason I started this blog, in fact: I wanted another place to post my reviews, especially philosophical reviews of science fiction. Of course, the blog has become a thing of its own over the years, but I'm still active on Goodreads if you want to find me there.

3. Around 2014 I picked up a copy of The Shining, and I learned that I really love Stephen King after not reading him since I was a teenager. I unexpectedly became a huge fan of his Dark Tower series in the last few years. Just today I finished re-reading The Stand for the first time since I was about 17 (full review coming soon, but I need some time to digest that behemoth of a book). King is so prolific I doubt I'll ever read all of his books, but I've set myself the more modest goal of reading what I think of as his "A-list" most popular books. Next up: Cujo! And sometime soon: another trip to the Tower.

4. I learned that I'm also a really big fan of Ursula Le Guin, Octavia Butler, and Kim Stanley Robinson. Although I loved their work before 2010, I learned that these are some of my favorites. I also learned around 2012 or so that Iain M. Banks was writing intelligent, literary space opera and became a huge fan. I have one more of his straightforwardly science fiction books left to read, and can't quite bring myself to read it knowing he's gone. Le Guin and Butler are also no longer with us, and I may need to leave a few of theirs unread as well. Or maybe not. That's perhaps a lesson to learn in the 2020s. I've also become a fan of newer authors (or newer to me) like N. K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, John Scalzi, and Ada Palmer.

5. Back when I started teaching in the 2000s, I always incorporated a bit of science fiction in my philosophy classes (I've shown clips of The Matrix to dozens of captive audiences since at least 2008). But in 2014 I was lucky enough to teach a class on philosophy and film dedicated to science fiction, and in recent years I've created a pop culture and philosophy course that has included both science fiction and horror in both literature and film. I've even had students make their own philosophical horror films. I've learned that all of this can work pretty well for teaching philosophy.

6. In 2013 I learned that finishing a PhD is an achievement of which I am very proud, but which I will never attempt again.

7. Between 2012 and 2014 I learned more than anybody should know about the academic job market. I don't mean to be dramatic when I say it was one of the more difficult times in my life. To continue with what sounds overly dramatic, I will also say that non-academics don't really understand the horror of the academic job market. In 2018 I learned about it from the hiring committee side, which was far less difficult for me personally, but which filled me with sad compassion for each and every applicant.

8. In May 2014 I learned that I was offered a job at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, much to my surprise. Before seeing the job ad in January, my only knowledge of Chattanooga came from the famous Glen Miller song, "Chattanooga Choo Choo" (in elementary school I played the train whistle when we sang it in music class). I have since learned a lot more about Chattanooga, including what it is like to attend two of its science fiction conventions: Chattacon and Con Nooga! And much to my surprise, my spouse has also secured employment here, which means we're pretty much living the dream for an academic couple (another one of those things I hate to say few non-academics will really understand).

9. I've learned a bit about this whole being a professor thing, and I have to say that for the most part it's pretty awesome. I've published enough to get by (I hope--we'll see how my tenure process goes the next few months), and I've been lucky enough to be able to teach fun courses like Skepticism East and West, Pop Culture (which included having the students make their own films!), and this semester I'm teaching Ancient Women Philosophers: India and Greece. I've also learned that I really love Ancient Greek and Hellenistic philosophy, another course I regularly teach.

10. I learned how to publish a philosophy book! Check it out here! In that process I learned a lot more about Śrī Harṣa, who is a fascinating philosopher worthy of at least a decade of study. I've also learned after a decade or so that explaining ancient skepticism about philosophy to contemporary philosophers is extremely difficult (kind of like my dentist explaining to me why I shouldn't eat so much candy). I may move on to other projects soon. Skeptical as I am, as much of a drag as contemporary academia can be, and as frustrated as I remain with the discipline's indefensible Eurocentrism, I still love philosophy.

11. I guess we now come to the 2010s lessons in politics. Ugh. Basically when it comes to politics I learned that pretty much everything is much, much worse than I thought, especially with the rise of reactionary bigotry. This is true around the world (especially in places like India, Europe, and Brazil), but I'll concentrate on my home country for now.

12. I learned that white America has a long way to go when it comes to race. I admit that I was a naïve white liberal. I'm sure things looked different to many people of color. I knew there were still a few racists around, but I figured most of my fellow white folks were making some progress. Much the same could be said for misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia, too. I never thought Barack Obama was going to solve all our problems (as, weirdly, many of his most fervent supporters seemed to in 2008), but his election and re-election were historic. And to address other groups I learned more about in the 2010's (socialist bros/leftister-than-thou/reply guys), I was aware the whole time that the Obama administration was doing plenty of bad stuff, too. But between Obama and increased representation of women and people of color in media, I vaguely felt like things were moving somewhere toward the right direction. In retrospect, the whole Tea Party thing should have been a clue: nobody gets that worked up about tax policy. Another clue came in Gamer Gate and the Sad Puppies. The 2016 election (not just its result, but the whole phenomenon) taught me that many white Americans have deep seated racial animosities that have had and continue to have direct effects on the political and economic structures of America. I've tried as best I can to confront these tendencies within myself and to work against the structural issues, but I'm sure I have not been doing enough.

13. I also learned that America has a long way to go with gender. We are also a country that will listen to a powerful man brazenly brag about sexually assaulting women and then elect that man President. What kind of message does that send about the value of women in our society? Women political candidates face heightened levels of scrutiny, as do celebrities, professors, and basically everyone. Movies like the 2016 Ghostbusters or The Last Jedi are hated with a vehemence that goes beyond mere dislike, with some actors leaving social media because of the abuse they suffered. Women continue to be murdered by romantic partners at alarming rates. My own discipline of philosophy is often downright hostile to women, and especially as of late, trans women. I learned a lot about misogyny and the concept of "himpathy" from reading Kate Manne's Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny.

14. I learned that climate change may be worse than we thought, but it seems like the more we learn the less any governments do about it, especially my own government.

15. I learned that sometimes people you mostly agree with can be the most annoying to interact with. I don't have much hope for "the left" in America. While the failing of the American right in recent years is a seemingly total lack of self-criticism, I worry that the left's excessive self-criticism has become politically stultifying. Sometimes you have to let go of perfection and work with what you've got. And no, I'm not arguing against your favored candidate by saying this.

16. I learned that social media was a huge mistake, but it's too late to go back now.

17. 2016 soured me on Presidential politics. I'll still do my civic duty and vote in the primary and general, of course, but debating candidates online is not something that interests me much in 2020. I've learned that I need to turn to more local political efforts. In 2016 I learned that my campus has a union: United Campus Workers! I became a member. You should join a union, too, if you can! We all complain about our jobs, but a union is a way to do something about it, at the very least building solidarity with your fellow workers. I'm also doing some volunteering and other local political activism. But, of course, not enough.

18. In the 2010's I also learned that larger political realities affect fandoms, too. From Gamer Gate to the Sad Puppies. It's partly because of the Sad Puppies that I became a Hugo Voter in the last several years. I've also gotten more involved in fandom in the 2010's by attending cons (in addition to my local cons, I've attended CONvergence and two Worldcons). I even had a science fiction short story published!

19. Luckily the Sad Puppies have mostly taken their yapping away from the Hugos. This is a victory for SFF fandom, but of course the Sad Puppies and their ilk didn't just go away. Some Puppy sympathizers have migrated to the Dragon Awards. Some are still around (I met a pretty racist guy at Chattacon last year).

20. I learned that other Puppy types have become the wretched hive of scum and villainy part of Star Wars fandom. I learned after all the new Disney Star Wars movies in the last five years, that Star Wars fandom is the worst fandom. Most Star Wars fans are fine, but the toxic ones are particularly toxic. I learned that there is no pleasing Star Wars fans.

21. I learned that great science fiction films can still be made. Some of my favorites of the 2010s: Interstellar, Mad Max: Fury Road, Arrival, The Last Jedi, Sorry to Bother You, and Ad Astra. I also learned that I like some movies and can't entirely explain why, like Jupiter Ascending and the new Terminator movies (even Genisys).

22. I learned that horror movies can actually be really good, and that Jordan Peele should keep making as many as he can. Some key examples: The Witch, Train to Busan, Get Out, Hereditary, Midsommar, Us, and Doctor Sleep. (See "Critically Acclaimed Horror Film of the 2010's or Your PhD Program?" for interesting links between this and items 6-10 above).

23. I continued to learn that life can be difficult and beautiful. I still continue to grieve for my mom, who died almost 20 years ago. I also lost my grandmother in 2014. I probably think about my own death more than most people (not in a suicidal way, just a philosophical one). But the fact that we're here for however many decades we have makes those decades all the more precious. As another great discovery of the 2010s, Chuck Tingle, might say: you make this timeline special, buckaroo. I'm glad you're here. (Edit: I should also mention that I gained a nephew in 2016!)

24. I learned about Baby Yoda. He comes from a decade long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, but he has brought some much needed joy to the end of this decade here on Earth.