# The public intellectual who reads the tabloids By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2022-08-26 There is an idea that you are what you eat and you are the product of those around you. Essentially what you consume starts to change who you are. One could argue that these sayings have it backward. Instead of you becoming what you consume, you consume what you are. Regardless of the causal loop, these sayings are positioned to [[influence]] us into being the change we want to be. I think it's something worth pursuing if for nothing other than the journey. But what should a person do if they desire to be a public intellectual or at least be informed about the state of things? What should they consume? One common approach is to dive deep and almost exclusively into consuming academic and intellectual media. The other more extreme approach is to attempt to live that experience and not just read about it. Depending upon your [[interests]], this may be impossible. For example, you probably aren't going to be the President of the United States or be able to relive your life under a different circumstance. So, you'll often be left with just the deep dive approach of consuming and processing the information as an observer. As you go about consuming this information and being the change you want to be, what happens when you accidentally consume something like trashy reality TV or tabloid gossip? Are you becoming these things as well and, more importantly, are you still able to be that informed and serious person who wants to make a difference? Many people likely feel guilty expending any [[energy]] on these less intellectual pursuits. They are called guilty pleasures after all. However, I believe that they are a valuable resource when balanced with more intellectual pursuits. They act as the balance to keep you grounded in reality and they help to make you antifragile. Antifragile isn't just resilience (see [[Antifragile - Things that Gain from Disorder|Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb]]). It's the ability to benefit from disorder - to get stronger as things get more chaotic. It's the ability to pivot, re-[[purpose]], reconnect, and push on. All sources of information, when balanced, provide opportunities for new possibilities, new arguments, and better understanding. So, when you are feeling guilty about watching the Bachelor right after [[reading]] a 800 page report on climate change, know that even the Bachelor may make you a better public intellectual in the end. #### Related Items [[Public Intellectual]] [[Antifragile]] [[Intellectual]] [[Moderation]] [[Becoming an (Analytic) Public Intellectual]] [[Reality TV]] [[Tabloids]]