One of the first things I read in the morning is the op-eds in the New York Times. Most are interesting and informative, whether or not I agree with them. Others, not so much. Some are just stunningly shallow and, sadly, factually wrong, which is surprising given the vetting done before publication. Then again, editing is only as good as the editors, and some are better than others even if the Times has the wherewithal to hire the best staff available.

But I read them. What I do not do is listen to them, which has become the new Times’ gimmick to appeal to people who find reading too challenging. These are the same people who prefer to listen to a podcast rather than read a blog post, willing to dedicate the time needed to listen without the burden of actually having to think about the topic. I am not willing. More importantly, when I read the transcript of Times’ videos, I am appalled at their superficial content, their rambling, often incoherent, words that could never survive thoughtful scrutiny.

A headline in the op-eds caught my eye this morning, The Cybertruck Rorschach Test. The subheader goes into greater detail.

Is extreme individualism leading to an uglier world? On “The Ezra Klein Show,” Debbie Millman, the host of the podcast “Design Matters,” argues that polarizing designs like the Tesla Cybertruck reflect a deeper shift in public behavior and shared spaces.

Well, that sounded interesting, so I clicked. And there is was, a video by Ezra Klein, who apparently has a “show” via the op-ed pages. Fortunately for me, there was a transcript of the video that I could read, which I produce below in full.

One reason I sort of like the Cybertruck is I don’t find it beautiful. What it makes me feel is not good. But it makes me feel something. Compared to so much else on the road right now, it reflects somebody’s vision. I believe somebody somewhere found it beautiful. Yea, there are people that buy it, so I think a lot of it comes down to taste. And then also, how well do things go with other things. The thing about the Cybertruck is that the Cybertruck infringes on the landscape. Maybe there’s a strategy behind it, but I’m not entirely sure what that strategy is. Is it to command attention? Is it to intimidate? What is the intention of this? And when I think about the world getting uglier, in its purest form, is the world getting uglier because we’re making bad design decisions? Or is the world getting uglier because we don’t care about what anybody else thinks but ourselves? And is the world getting uglier because we’re behaving in ugly ways? Once you start to see people behaving in ugly ways, it’s inevitable that that is going to trickle down into everybody else’s behavior, because we see, if this could happen here, somebody can get away with doing this, well, then why can’t I do it? Well, I want to really position myself here because I think the Cybertruck is interesting to argue for, but around—— But I want to really agree that it’s ugly. It’s not my taste. -But that’s important for you to declare. -But there’s a trend here. So I feel like you could imagine two axes here. So there’s whether something makes you feel anything at all, how much it makes you feel. And then there’s whether or not that feeling is good or bad. But there’s so much that surrounds us now. So many apartment buildings. I don’t find them ugly, but I find them as inoffensive. I feel nothing when I look at them. They are mute to me. -So many cars sit there mute to me. -When something doesn’t have any real intention to it, when it’s built without any sense of purpose or strategy or respect for its surroundings. And that, I think, is worse than ugly and maybe even worse than vulgar.

I’m no fan of the Cybertruck. Beyond its technical failings, and the fact that its utility as a pickup truck is nearly nonexistent, I find it ugly as well. But others do not, and they really don’t care what I think about its attractiveness. It’s unlikely that they care about whether Debbie Millman, or Ezra Klein for that matter, find it unattractive either. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if some people find the Cybertruck beautiful, or more likely cool and different, they’re allowed.

But what’s most unfortunate about this video is that there is absolutely no point to its being made. It contributes nothing to the dialogue. It’s a baseless expression of opinion which leaps blindly from “Cybertruck is ugly” to people behave in ugly ways to people feel empowered to be ugly.

Here’s an alternative take on this episode of the Ezra Klein show. It’s a cheap, easy way to assert a conclusion without going through the labor of having to present and prove reasons behind it.

There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labour of thinking.

–Sir Joshua Reynolds

Reading is hard work. Thinking, even harder. Putting one’s reasoning into writing makes it available for scrutiny, for criticism and critical thought. Many time, I start a post here with one thought in mind, and as I write my way through the post, I realize that my reasons fall short and fail to support the conclusion. I’m left with no choice but to change my view, which might have made it through the gloss of a shallow chat, but could not survive the rigors of writing.

I don’t know whether the New York Times figured out that they can promote cheap and easy conclusions without the burden of providing factual and reasoned justifications, or they’re just playing to an audience of people unwilling to do the hard work of reading or thinking. Either way, the Times has cheapened its real estate by building shanties where skyscrapers used to stand.