John the Other Would Like a Response

[Mr. Wrong]

For future reference, how do I embed the video rather than just posting the link? Thanks.

 

Anyway, enjoy! It's not often criticism is cordial:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tsr4XjyNuQ&list=UU255AfKquZnQMO0amxdEGWw

 

I think a response even if just a written one would be polite and, well, I agree with John. I would like the Truth About Stefan Molyneux to fit with the MO and also the rigor of the others in the Truth About series. It is much more difficult to speak about oneself without bias of course. Thing is, if I did a video like that about myself it'd turn into an autobiography so I wouldn't begrudge Stef for not going into all the details he surely could should he decide to do another one in the future having agreed with JtO's criticism.

[Kevin Beal]

You embed videos simply by pasting the url (don't make it a link).

If I'm not mistaken, the video The Truth About Stefan Molyneux video was an excerpt from a call in show in response to demands that a truth about him be done. It don't believe it was meant to be any kind of presentation like the other Truth About's, but rather something impromptu that allowed him to put across an important message.

 

I think I remember Mike posting on Facebook after this video came out that another, longer video would be coming out about Stef's life.

 

One of the reasons given for doing these Truth About videos was to show the fault in the people we regard as heroes, so that people can stop idealizing and get to doing good works themselves. To this end, Stef has done multiple podcasts talking about mistakes that he's made. But if you're looking for scandalous stuff, from what I remember, he has never assaulted anyone, never did drugs, drank to excess a few times in his teens and has been basically sober ever since,... you might be pretty bored at the lack of scandal.

 

I quite like JtO, but I believe he mistook the purpose of the video. I too would be interested to hear more about Stef's life and any serious errors in judgment that he's made that he hasn't already brought up, but more than anything I'd love to hear his experience of being idealized, and the dangers therein. I have my own theories, but I have not been idealized to nearly the same degree he has, and I can see with my own eyes how that can have negative effects.

 

I know it's not so simple as to say "hey, I've made these really bad mistakes, I'm human and I'm a lot like you", or to say falsely that "I'm immature and unwise and bla bla bla" which wouldn't really help anyway. People have got to try and empathize with you rather than idealize.

 

It's a nice dose of reality to get an exposé about a popular figure, but to do yourself, it doesn't really do it in the same format. What do people expect exactly? Some confessional?

[PatrickC]

It's a nice dose of reality to get an exposé about a popular figure, but to do yourself, it doesn't really do it in the same format. What do people expect exactly? Some confessional?

 

Yes, I read the blog some time back after a friend linked me to it, asking for feedback.

 

JtO, like a lot of people completely missed the point of that video. Some of those of the more vitriolic persuasion were more cognizant, but preferred to poison the well with accusations of narcissism etc. Not surprising (I think), because the genesis of that video, was a call to virtue. A call, that when fully comprehended can scare the living crap out of most people these days.

 

I'm tempted to call JtO's video concern trolling, but I really don't think he's a troll at all. It's clear that he appreciates a lot of Stefan's work. I've enjoyed JtO's work immensely myself over the years and found him to be a mostly consistent and an interesting thinker. I think he genuinely believes he has something worthwhile to criticise Stefan on. Except he really doesn't, at least not in the video he's discussing.

 

I gather he emailed the blog to Stefan (according to his YT comments) and it was ignored, which prompted him to make a video on it. I'm not surprised it was ignored, where do you even start with someone, when they've so missed the point to almost complete dissociation. It's interesting I've seen some quite prominent men in the manosphere re-evaluating of late their opinion on Stefan and this community. Most of it is sadly incoherent and at worst it's just hearsay. I'm merely speculating here of course, but I do wonder whether this call to virtue is at the heart of the matter. I know it's been the biggest challenge for me establishing a philosophical life and actually living it.