This take is terminally online. No positive change in the real world happened because of intellectual tea time. Race realists, flat earthers, and body language experts, all claim to be more informed, yet as we all know humans are capable of convincing themselves of total bs, some way more harmful than others. Evil isn’t always like you see on the movies. Everyone believes they’re the good guys. What does it mean to make things better? What counts as intellectual? Good faith? What’s a problem in the first place? Who decides the “winner”? These questions are at the heart of politics, social justice, and debate bros.

There were (and still are) “intellectuals” that would be more than happy to “debate good faith” about why black people are inferior, or why God exists (or doesn’t not exist), or or why pineapples belong on pizza. Again, some of these are way more harmful to society than others, but the problem is, not everyone sees it that way. This “why can’t we all kumbaya around the campfire” is naive at best and at worst, dangerously close to enlightened centrism. Real change happens with advocacy, hard work, and lots of self reflection.

Would a debate with a hard-core vegan make you give up all meat products? Would you boycott your favorite sandwich shop because the owner supported conversion therapy? Would you throw away a smartphone because it’s made in a country with looser child labor laws? We make harmful, net-negative decisions all the time for lots of reasons, not necessarily because we think they’re wrong and we’re right. Vegan products are expensive, they’re the only good sandwich shop around, a smartphone might as well be a commodity these days, you get the picture.

Stand up for what you believe in, and always keep your morals and motivations in check. Radical change comes from radical actions, on a huge, political level and on a personal level. Focus on helping yourself and others. The world sucks for way too many reasons, don’t waste your effort perfecting it. But at least you can better yourself.