Still As Bright As Ever

i once read a science-fiction story in which astronauts voyaging to a distant star were waxing homesick: "Just to think that it's springtime back on Earth!" You may not immediately see what's wrong with that, so ingrained is our unconscious northern hemisphere chauvinism. "Unconscious" is exactly right. That is where consciousness-raising comes in.

from "the future looks bright", the guardian, june 21, 2003

when i first blogged about the B word i thought it was a nice idea, if a little silly. but, you know, i think there is something important about consciousness-raising. i just hope there are some cool bright t-shirts soon.

in the comments a couple of days ago someone referenced this NYT op-ed by daniel dennett, titled "the bright stuff." (strangecurrency/strange to read if you aren't registered). the article was interesting not only because it was filed from blue hill, maine - although that kicks ass! - but also because it makes a strong point for coming out as a bright. dennett describes a conference where he spoke to a group of young people and tried revealing his status at the end of his allotted time. this is what happened:

Many students came up to me afterwards to thank me, with considerable passion, for "liberating" them. I hadn't realized how lonely and insecure these thoughtful teenagers felt. They'd never heard a respected adult say, in an entirely matter of fact way, that he didn't believe in God. I had calmly broken a taboo and shown how easy it was.

In addition, many of the later speakers, including several Nobel laureates, were inspired to say that they, too, were brights. In each case the remark drew applause. Even more gratifying were the comments of adults and students alike who sought me out afterward to tell me that, while they themselves were not brights, they supported bright rights. And that is what we want most of all: to be treated with the same respect accorded to Baptists and Hindus and Catholics, no more and no less.

Monday 14-Jul-03