"Never go too far in any direction, is the basic law on which Land‘s End island is built"
We never had even the slightest froideur about disagreements. I think it's a good rule never to lose a friend over an argument. Never get into these sincerity contests: "I feel so strongly about this that I never want to see you again." Rubbish.
I disagreed with Hitchens violently over literary things as well as political things. But it never got to the point of raised voices. That's partly because real friendship is rare, particularly male friendship. My father lost a dozen really excellent friends over the Vietnam War, because he was a hawk. A ridiculous position to take. Let alone to lose friends over that.
Perhaps I had much firmer guard rails. Christopher fell out with other friends over politics. I thought, I'm not having that. You mustn't self-dramatize your righteousness or your sincerity. That never happened between him and me.
"I've seen photographs of women in early and middle age sobbing as they pray for Trump. My imagination fails. I can't see anything positive to latch onto. It's a dreadful spectacle. His clinging to the idea that he's "super smart." I don't know anyone even of average intelligence who goes on about how smart they are. Doesn't come up, does it?"
I think beyond a certain point I would end up losing friends over it tbh. I doubt I'd snap at them, but we would drift apart. There are some views I find too grim to compartmentalise.I was reminded today of how upset craners politics make me, feral with rage on occasion, but also of how I wouldn't let it trash our sincere manly love.
I think beyond a certain point I would end up losing friends over it tbh. I doubt I'd snap at them, but we would drift apart. There are some views I find too grim to compartmentalise.